


Atonement

by DemonsDaughter



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Experimentation, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Master/Pet, Master/Slave, Prisoner of War, Sexual Experimentation, Sexual Violence, Sticky Sex, Sticky Sexual Interfacing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-01 11:15:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4017679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonsDaughter/pseuds/DemonsDaughter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Black Shadow and a small band of Decepticons are still on the run after vorns of being hunted by relentless Autobots. At last he and his crew are apprehended, with Black Shadow taken for experimentation due to his exceptionally rare frame type and his crew evaluated for society by Rung. </p><p>During the evaluations Rung meets Vortex and is determined to get through to his most difficult patient yet while Wheeljack comes across a very unfortunate six phaser in need of aid. While risks are involved with both cases, Rung and Wheeljack are willing to care for bots no one has dared to approach, let alone love. </p><p>~This is a Comission request for Francis! Hope you enjoy!~</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Francis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Francis/gifts).



> The plot idea of this work belongs to Francis and so does this commission request! Hopefully you'll like it! I tried my best with Black Shadow!!!

It was a good solar cycle when the discovery team of Autobots finally found the six phaser, locking onto his ship coordinates and keeping close on his tail. They could not let him get away-not only because he was more dangerous than even Grimlock or Shockwave, but because he was something rare. The scientists had never had a six phaser to work with before. 

'It's about time they did,' Springer thought, leading the Elite Guard ship ever closer to the limping vessel that belonged to the six phaser. There were other bots inside the ship as well, so Primus knew what they might find in there. 

After the war had been won by the Autobots, they had been rounding up as many fleeing Decepticons as they could. Most went through rehabilitation programs while the worst were jailed and executed. Their kind was so dangerously low on numbers that it was quite rare now for anyone to be put to death. Springer thought that was slightly ridiculous, but he wasn't calling those shots.

"Alright, mechs! Get ready to board and fill that whole ship with paralysis gas!" Springer barked, the Autobots he had brought with him on the mission getting out some canisters full of the paralysis agent. It would out down anyone in that ship once set off and then they could retrieve the frames. "We are facing one of the six phasers, so be on your guard! I don't expect some paralysis gas will be enough to bring him to his knees!"

The warriors nodded in agreement and got ready for the assault on the other space craft, the grappling hooks shooting out from their left side and biting viciously into the six phaser's starship. There was a much louder 'thoom' as the two ships crashed into each other, the Autobot vessel fairing far better thanks to its new outer armor and reinforced body.

"Prepare to board!"

The Autobots quickly retracted their landing ramp and used lasers to cut a square hole into the side of the other starship. Two lines of warriors stayed between the mechs working on the the enemy vessel, ready to take out any Decepticons who tried to attack once the opening was made. Four paralysis canisters were prepared for the other ship, the bots holding them shifting nervously on their pedes until the metal in front of them fell away with a clang.

In unison they hurled the canisters into the other ship and retreated, slamming the landing ramp shut to prevent the gas from entering their own ship. There was a loud sound of electric static that vibrated through their ship, and then it was over. There was no more shooting from the smaller Decepticon starship and all the shouts and orders to fight were hushed.

Springer finally gave the order for their landing ramp to be opened so that everyone could inspect the enemy vessel for prisoners and make sure they brought the six phaser into custody. The golden tinted gas was no longer harmful to their frames, the shock already administered. The triple changer took the lead into the other ship, barely avoiding a prone body on the floor near his pedes.

"Alright, looks like we got some Decepticons here. Take them back to our ship and get them locked up. We still need to find the six phaser."

The tank he had stepped over was swiftly removed and taken into the Autobot vessel, others soon to follow. Springer collected fourteen bots so far, but there were still two red dots on his scanners that said he hadn't found them all. There were still two Decepticons on board and they were functional, moving about just out of reach of the patrols. 

-Looks like we have two left. One is the six phaser and the other...Primus knows what we're going up against. Be on your guard at all times and stay alert. I don't want anyone getting hurt- Springer called out over their com line, slowly approaching the last unchecked area of the ship where the two remaining Decepticons lurked.

He had no idea what he would find, but he was more than ready to bring them to justice.

*** 

Vortex stayed close to Black Shadow, seeing that he was the only chance of freedom he had left. His gestalt was broken apart long ago. He did not know the fate of Swindle and Blast Off, yet he knew Brawl and Onslaught had been captured a while back and had not escaped since. His rotor blades shuffled nervously against his back, the aerial tensed all over. Black Shadow glanced over at him, almost finished barricading the door.

"We need a plan."

"Sure do."

Black Shadow smirked to himself, sure he could get what he needed out of the Combaticon soon enough. Vortex was all he had left as a bargaining chip, but he could make do with it. All he needed was a little more time to make up a plan to get away and he would be golden.

Black Shadow, the famous six phaser, was not excited for this fight. He had been on the run for vorns now after the end of the war and finally his hunters had caught up to him. The rest of the crew was gone for sure after the paralysis blast, the gas only missing him and Vortex since they had been working in the stock room for a few moments to check supplies. That was where they were trapped now, waiting for the Autobots to break inside. He dreaded what was to come since he had no backup and was literally pushed into a corner by his enemies. 

"I think I have a plan now! But I need you to do some play acting for me..." Black Shadow rumbled, optics bright with barely hidden malice. Vortex didn't notice the danger there and grinned behind his battle mask. 

"Do I get to be the hero? Or the villain?" Vortex asked, rotors flaring like tailfeathers on a cyber-parrot. Black Shadow grinned.

"How about you try your hand at playing hero, hmm? While the role does not fit you perfectly, I'm sure you can play it just fine. What I want you to do is pretend you are me. Speak deeply and get close to the door when they begin breaking in. Once you have them convinced that you are me, start making a deal with them. Tell them that you have set explosives and could take down all of them and the ship unless they leave you here. Do not let them know I am also here with you, because I will make the final attack! We can stun them and make our escape from there."

The six phaser loved how he had duped the Combaticon in a matter of klicks, the dumb helicopter not realizing that the Autobots surely had scanners telling them there were two bots inside the store room. Black Shadow laughed silently when Vortex's visor brightened to show he was favoring the idea. It would all go according to the mech's real plan now.

Vortex nodded slowly. He liked how Black Shadow did things like Onslaught. Onslaught always made plans like that...For a moment the helicopter was sorrowful, hanging his head and staring at the floor under his pedes. He hated to admit it, but he missed his gestalt brothers. They understood him. They cared for him (even if it was only for the good of Bruticus). They kept him safe when things got bad. And now none of them were there.

"Sound good, Vortex?" Black Shadow asked, optics glimmering with cunning intelligence. Vortex nodded. 

"I can play hero."

"Your role starts now," Black Shadow hissed as he heard shouts outside the door and watched as it shook, the bots outside trying to break in. They wasted no time in their attack, which he had to appreciate even if he was their intended target.

Vortex played his part in the plan marvelously, the bots outside just having gotten the door down to find there were stacks of heavy crates in front of them. They hesitated, waiting for orders from their leader, whoever it might be. Black Shadow placed a mighty paw of a hand on Vortex's blocky shoulder and waited, hoping to hear they would cut their losses and leave.

"Decepticons, come out with your hands up!"

"Make me!" Vortex snapped back, hands balled into tight fists.

Black Shadow acted quickly, grabbing Vortex by the nape of his neck and easily picking him up. The helicopter made a loud sound of confusion and anger when his pedes were suddenly off the ground and his vision spotted from the lack of energon to his helm. He snarled and hissed, rotors flaring with fury. He had been duped somehow!

"You are my ticket out of here!" Black Shadow hissed, willing to use anyone and anything to get himself where he needed to go. He was much larger than Vortex and saw how he could use the Combaticon for a shield. The Autobots would never expect it. 

The barrier he had built up in front of the door came crashing in and he leapt over it, using Vortex's frame as a shield. Vortex shrieked when he was hit with two high powered tasers and went stiff from the bad feedback through his systems. Black Shadow snarled as he barreled through the Autobot line and flung Vortex at them, the stunned helicopter's dead weight slamming into Springer and knocking him over. 

"See you next time, Springer! Ha, you guys actually thought you could capture me?!" Black Shadow mocked, loping down the hallway while blaster and gun shots peppered his frame. It didn't do much other than sting him, the six phaser much stronger than even a heavily armored tank type. Mere bullets would not bring him down.

"Get him!" Springer shouted, throwing Vortex's bleeding frame off of his own before he gave chase. He was faster than Black Shadow and caught the bot before he could get to an escape shuttle. The massive mech spun on Springer and showed his dentas in a feral snarl.

"I'm not going with you...Not ever. I'll kill you here and now-and you know I could. I've beaten the Wreckers and Optimus Prime. You are nothing compared to me! But I'm feeling generous today. I'll let you live if you let me get out of here. Sound like a fair deal?"

Black Shadow thought he had entire control over the situation, puffing up his armor plating to appear even larger. Springer didn't scare him one bit. Honestly no one scared him. It was just numbers that would bring him down and even then it would hurt the enemy a lot more than it would him. The six phaser shifted weight from pede to pede while he awaited Springer's answer. The triple changer made sure he looked like he was contemplating the offer until he suddenly whipped out a high voltage stun gun and fired point blank into Black Shadow's neck.

Black Shadow screeched, normally deep voice rising with the fierce pain from the jolt. He wasn't felled by the hit, but he was off balance and stumbled backwards. He saw more Autobots coming to aid their leader and would have turned on them if he hadn't been shot again by the extremely powerful stun gun, staggering and nearly falling over. His optics were badly unfocused, the mech slow with his reaction time. He saw a blur coming for him and swung a fist to meet it midair. Some unnamed Autobot was flung into a wall from the impact and Black Shadow shook off three others who tried to jump on him and pin him down.

"We need the dart guns!" Springer roared as he went in to grapple with the huge beast of a mech. Black Shadow snarled and growled when he felt small pinches in various parts of his frame, swatting at them like cyber-bugs.

Black Shadow pulled away from the pack of Autobots and ran as best he could back through the ship, desperate to find a way out. His frame felt heavy, as if it had been weighed down by a couple extra tons. He shook his head and swore, glancing down to see a yellow tipped dart sticking out from in between his thigh plating. There were more and he felt his tank sink. 

"Sir, should we pursue?" 

"Keep an optic on him but with all the sedatives we got into him he won't make it too far," Springer said, helping up his companion who had been thrown. The bot was going to be sore, but he was otherwise unhurt. "Let's go pick up our six phaser."

'They're fragging clever using darts to try to put me to sleep...' he thought in horror, the feeling of fatigue only getting worse as he stumbled through the hallways. 'If I keep moving I can work it through...I can...I have to...'

Black Shadow wasn't able to go much farther, finally succumbing to the high dosage of medication. He slumped against a wall before he slid down onto the floor, panting softly as he tried to pick out the darts still stuck between his plating. He groaned when his world spun, the medicine kicking in much faster than he would have expected. 

The six phaser heard pedes slowly approaching and hissed quietly, cursing his luck over and over again. It was over now and he wasn't dead. They would use him as an experiment or a breeder, getting all they could from him before he became some kind of docile slave. He had seen glimpses of former Decepticons who had been captured and shuddered when he realized he was now one of them.

'Takes a lot to break me...Frag them! Frag all of them!' he thought, flopping over onto his side with a clank. His vision clouded soon after he lay on the floor of the ship, pedes now standing in front of his faceplate as he drifted off into forced recharge.

"There we go. Looks like we finally got him, mechs! Cuff him and make sure he can't get out of it. Also drug his energon just to make him a little less dangerous for the rest of the trip back to New Cybertron," Springer called out, helping lift the behemoth six phaser. "Rung will evaluate them before we land and from there we can get them sorted out."

Once Black Shadow was situated in the brig of the Autobot ship and the former Decepticon craft was searched for anything useful, they released their grapples and watched the broken starship float away into space. There was no need for it now, the captured Decepticons sure to find new homes whether they wanted to or not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vortex being a brat~

The Autobots had left Vortex in one of the brig cells apart from the others. He had caused trouble even while wounded and no one had any time to deal with him. So there he was, left abandoned and bloodied in a small cell at the end of the brig hallway. He hadn't had the energy or interest to get up off the floor, so the helicopter remained laying on the cool slate gray metal.

Everything hurt and Vortex didn't like it.

Sure, he enjoyed some pain every once and a while to spice things up, but not like this. Pleasure and pain to him went hand in hand during many occasions, be it when he was torturing someone for information all those vorns ago, when he was spurred to fight more viciously after being hit by a blaster, or when he was being fragged rough and hard against a berth. Those were the times when some pain was enjoyable and made him a better mech.

'This pain is stupid. It makes me feel useless and bad. Heh, I'm my own physiatrist now! How does it make you feel, Vortex? Not very good, says me,' Vortex thought, somewhat loopier than usual thanks to energon loss and being shocked by overpowered stun guns.

The helicopter lifted a heavy arm to look at his chest and side plating where he had been hit by some bullets. Old sticky energon was crusting around the entrance wounds and he whined, venting somewhat ragged. One of the bullets must have hit a vent. Not only that, but his rotors were bent and extremely painful since he had been unceremoniously tossed away by Black Shadow. The betrayer had tricked him into a plan that only benefitted the six phaser. 

"Should have known, Texy. Bots are nasty!" Vortex hissed to himself, shutting off his optics behind his visor. He wished the pain would go away. Not only that but he was hungry as well. They had been rationing fuel on the starship for a deca cycle now and it had been a miserable experience.

Vortex made a tiny whimper, the sound almost foreign to him. He hadn't wanted to cry since he was a youngling left out on the streets and now he was finally succumbing to the feelings of pure hopelessness. Destined to be a pet or a sex slave, he felt washer fluid burn his optics behind his ruby visor. He was hurting in so many places he wondered if anyone could ever fix him.

'Don't fix what ain't broken...right? I'm not really broken...am I?' Vortex asked himself, fearing the answer was yes. He had finally bent so far he had snapped in half, his spark torn into a shredded mess of longing for his brothers, his freedom, and his nearly non-existent happiness.

He lay all alone on the floor of the brig cell until he slipped into a restless recharge, twitching and shuffling about in his sleep. Honestly the mech looked like a recharging mechanimal, puppy dreams plaguing him the whole time he attempted to rest. There wasn't much else to do when he was so weak.

The sound of pedes coming down the hallway woke Vortex, the helicopter jolting out of his recharge with a soft gasp. He was under attack for sure! He attempted to leap to his feet only to remember he was too damaged for that. His helm swam when he attempted to rise and his side burned in punishment for the quick movement. Vortex made a loud groan and shifted stiffly where he lay.

"Hey, you! I'm hungry!" he called in a raspy voice to the bot who was passing by his cell. He didn't expect them to care or do anything about it, but it was worth a shot. The mech surprisingly stopped in his tracks and whirled around to see where the voice had come from. 

"Oh, goodness! Who put you this far away from the others? And you're hurt!" First Aid gasped, the gentle hearted medic quickly hurrying to put down the cell bars. Vortex growled softly in response. 

"I said I wanted food, not this stuff," he grumbled, although he was secretly thrilled with the attention. When things were one hundred percent about Vortex, he was happy. First Aid knelt down beside him and waved a hand at someone else out in the hall.

"Ring! Come here please! I have a patient who is unruly and mentally unstable according to his data file, but he needs repairs right away. Can you keep him busy while I patch him up? He was left here all alone and no one told me about him!"

"It's Rung...and I'm coming!" a stronger but equally cheery voice answered, pedes hurrying towards the open cell. Vortex chuffed when he saw the small orange mech arrive. He looked weak and breakable, not the type of bot who should be around him. Vortex liked to break things, after all.

"No touching!" Vortex snapped at First Aid when the medic tried to roll him over onto his other side. The Combaticon had been hiding his wounds by laying on his damaged side, unwilling to show off any sort of weakness in his frame. That was a big mistake when surrounded by enemies.

First Aid frowned. -Rung, please speak with him and if you could, put him in a headlock for me. I need to give him a dose of repair nanites mixed with sedatives. We can't have him being unruly while we work!- 

Rung nodded, honestly quite curious about the Deceoticon. He had written up bios of all the Autobots, but he hadn't had much of a chance to work on Decepticons. Not only that, but he could tell Vortex would need a few sessions to come out of his strange mindset.

"So your name is Vortex?" Rung asked, getting out a blank data pad to start taking notes. Vortex grunted.

"What's that got to do with anything? Yeah, I'm Vortex and I'm hungry. If you don't have food, I don't want to talk," Vortex answered, fussy and determined to get his way. Rung smiled, not at all bothered by the behavior. When he had worked with Max he had learned how to deal with the dangerous types quite well. Usually the anger and tendency to snap was from past trauma and he was sure he could help Vortex out.

"I don't have much fuel on me at the moment, but I do have some mineral sticks and a few strips of iron jerky. Would you like some?"

"Yeah," Vortex said, optics locking onto the mech who promised food. A moment later Rung had an iron jerky strip and a mineral stick in his hand, holding them just out of reach of the Decepticon.

"Before you get one of these, you have to tell me how old you are. Just for the files I'm trying to make," Rung said, a bright smile on his faceplate. Vortex growled loudly, although he stayed focused on the tasty food and not on First Aid prepping a big shot for him.

"I'm six thousand and forty-two vorns. Now give me the mineral stick." 

Rung wrote down the information and handed over the mineral stick. The food item looked like a large stick of human sidewalk chalk colored light purple. The sticks were sweet and good for the systems, so it was a healthy treat that was a favorite of many bots. Vortex snatched the food and for a moment debated whether or not he wanted to retract his battle mask in front of the enemy. He decided that it wasn't too dangerous since his hunger was more demanding than his paranoia and he swiftly pulled back the metal covering his mouth and nose.

Vortex was content to devour the mineral stick, dentas crunching down on the hard candy. He had swallowed his second mouthful when he felt a pinch near his shoulder blade and snarl-yelped, whipping around and trying to bite whoever had hurt him. First Aid scrambled out of range and Vortex hissed at him, flaring his rotors angrily even if it hurt him to do so.

"I said no touching!" he spat, unable to do much in retaliation to his annoyance. So he settled back down and continued devouring his mineral stick. Once it was gone, he looked to Rung for more. "Hand over the iron jerky, Eyebrows."

Rung frowned. Why did everyone think his eyebrows were so big?! They were not! "Only if you answer another small question. What battalion did you belong to?"

"I'm a Combaticon! Now give me the food," Vortex growled, about to get in Rung's lap for the fuel. Rung held out the strip of black metal, wanting to see if Vortex would take it nicely.

The helicopter was not nice about many things and grabbed the jerky, yanking it out of Rung's hold before he fell upon it like a ravenous cyber-wolf. Rung watched as Vortex's frame slowly lost some tension, the sedatives working already. After half the jerky was eaten, Vortex's helm was on the floor and his optics were almost shut off. Rung reached out and gently repositioned the bot's head so he wouldn't get a nasty neck crick when he came to.

"Rung, I think you should visit Vortex later and have a session with him. I will have him moved to where the others are housed and you can collect more information there. Hopefully you can get through to him! He's...a very odd sort," First Aid said, letting Rung go work with the other prisoners. Rung nodded, glad he had something to do. 

"Of course! Let me know when he has been moved."

Rung got up from his kneeling position and headed out of the cell, hoping he would be able to crack the mental wall of insanity that Vortex exhibited. The helicopter mech was going to be quite difficult, but Rung was determined to work with him. If he had brought Red Alert out of his paranoia for some time, he could get through to Vortex...he hoped.

***

Vortex came to in a different cell, one that was slightly bigger than his old one. He glanced over his frame to find his middle was wrapped with mesh bandages to prevent him picking at new welds in his frame. At least he knew the bullets had been removed somehow. His vents were steady and while his rotor hub ached, he knew the medic had repaired every last part of him.

The Combaticon glanced over at the cell next to him through the light bars and saw the large form of Quake dozing on the floor. The tank never slept in a berth since he was too big to fit, instead sprawling out wherever there was ample space. His main gun attached to his back was close to the light bars, giving the helicopter a good idea. 

'Looks like Brawl, nasty like Brawl...I can bother him like Brawl, too!' Vortex decided, seeking out familiar things. Quake was close enough to his gestalt brother to make him happy. So he did what he would have done to Brawl.

Vortex got up, shuffled closer to the light bars, wormed his arm between them without getting shocked, grabbed the main gun's barrel, and yanked as hard as he could. The tank let out a loud grunt-yelp of surprise and jumped up, whirling around to face the threat. His garnet optics were wild, the excitable tank ready for full scale battle. Main guns were the most sensitive part on a tank and Quake hadn't appreciated it being jerked around.

"'The frag is wrong with you?!" he roared, seeing that Vortex was the culprit. "I'm gonna blow your head in!"

"Which head?" Vortex snickered, patting his spike cover. "If you want to blow this one I'll be happy."

"Are you kidding me?! I'd bite that disgusting thing right off if you got it close to my face! Do us all a favor if you were fixed-permanently!" Quake snarled, not all that smart but having enough fury and rage to fill the empty parts of his processor.

"Oooooh, kinky!" 

Quake threw himself at the light bars and got zapped, snarling in a way that a mechanimal would if you had stepped on its tail. He backed away from the light bars, eyeing them suspiciously. Frag them. He would get to the stupid helicopter eventually...

Vortex grinned, lounging in the safety of his cell. There was nothing the tank could do to get him back and his rage reminded him so much of Brawl that it was oddly comforting. That was a familiar thing to Vortex and he enjoyed it. Tanks were aggressive. Tanks were Brawl. Therefore any aggressive tank could be imagined to be his former best buddy.

He grinned when he heard memory files of Brawl screaming at him and beating him up. Those were the good old days when he hadn't been caged anywhere. Sure, he had to go into a lot of time outs locked in a small storage room until he calmed down, but it wasn't the same as being trapped in prison.

"Fragging weirdo..." Quake rumbled, flopping back down on the opposite side of his cell. Vortex beamed behind his battle mask.

"Love you more, Quakie!"

"Shuddup," the tank muttered, realizing just how torturous it would be to live right next to Vortex for the rest of the trip.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now I have thoroughly tortured poor Vortex and made him into a paranoid, terrified wreck :(

Black Shadow hated himself. How he had been captured so easily by Autobots was still a mystery to him and it ate away at the mech's pride. No one was ever supposed to beat him! Megatron had ordered him changed into the destructive six phaser he was today to be more powerful and somehow he had failed his purpose of destroying Autobots. He hadn't even killed a single one during the attempted escape! 

'Frag me,' he thought to himself as he shifted. They had made sure to keep him well guarded and secured. His wrists were cuffed and the chain between them was connected to a chain collar around his neck. He had tried to break them multiple times, yet each instance he yanked hard on the wrist cuffs, he got choked around his neck as the chain there tightened.

He was defenseless and subdued.

'Me, a bot who was feared around the galaxies! Hired out by the highest bidders to rob and murder, and now look at me! I'm trapped in a jail cell being transported to New Cybertron as a slave or a pet or...or whatever they have in store for me,' he thought, pulling away from the entrance of the cell so he could lean back against the metal wall.

The buzzing of the light bars around him made him crazy and he wanted nothing more than to strangle someone. He had tried grabbing the guards twice and both times had failed, his arm getting shocked and half melted when he touched the light bars. Once he was sick of abusing his frame, he retreated in a surly mass of black and red plating to where he could plot.

Bribes hadn't worked like he had hoped, none of the guards willing to give him up. Some had been tempted, but the fear of being framed for losing the legendary six phaser had kept them from taking action. So his huge sum of credits was left in his subspace while he tried to think of ways to sweeten the deals. Usually he was the one who OTHERS tried to bribe, but everything in his world had been turned on its head as of late.

"How long until we reach New Cybertron?" he barked at the guards outside his cell. They were the two chattiest ones so he figured they would answer. As he expected, one of them spoke up.

"About another solar cycle. Sit tight and try not to cause trouble," the mech said, the bot some kind of racing model. Black Shadow snorted in response. 

"Where's my evening fuel? I'm starving in here!"

"It will come in a cycle or so. Until then we can play cards," the guard said, turning so he faced the light bars. There he set up a holo deck near the bars and watched as Black Shadow came over. "Let's make this more interesting and bet some credits. Does that sound good?"

"As good as it will get for me," Black Shadow chuckled, betting five hundred on the game. The maroon bot outside did the same and they began to play, the six phaser never so glad for a distraction as he was then. Only one more solar cycle before his life cycle truly changed forever.

***

Black Shadow knew they drugged his energon to keep him placid and he didn't care. Hunger won over intelligence every time and he guzzled down the three cubes he was brought each time. He didn't care if it made him sleepy and useless. Sometimes it was better for him to be out of it so he didn't realize what was happening. The nagging fear of what would come next ate away at his mind and it was a welcome relief to be too drugged to give a slag.

He lay in a heap, optics lackluster and void of brightness after he ate, the guards visibly relaxing as well. There was no need to watch a bot who couldn't even get up off the floor for a good two cycles or more. So they took their break to get energon and gamble some more, leaving Black Shadow alone in his massive cell to contemplate his fate.

***

"If you touch me again, you're dead," Quake hissed, crouched as close as he could to the light bars between his and Vortex's cell. The dark gray helicopter grinned behind his battle mask, rotors flaring out and upwards like Seeker wings would. 

"Feisty! I bet you're good in the berth, all rugged and nasty!"

Quake shook with rage, optics burning with hate. Vortex hadn't let him rest for even a moment for the past solar cycle. They were almost to New Cybertron and all he wanted to do was get away from the aft pain next door. Being a pet would be a whole lot easier than dealing with Vortex in his opinion.

"You wouldn't be any fun in the berth yourself. Too small and too many breakable bits on you," Quake chuffed, debating silently whether or not he wanted to shove his arm through the bars and throttle the other bot. It could backfire so he had to be careful, glancing around for any signs of guards.

Vortex kept goading him and finally he couldn't ignore it any more. The tank attacked with a fury, ignoring the burn and sting of the light bar as he thrust his arm through it and grabbed Vortex by the collar guard. From there he slammed the helicopter into the floor. Hoping that would be enough to stun and shut the bot up, Quake released and began to pull his arm back, surprised when Vortex made a counterattack of his own. 

In a flash the tank felt his arm melting as it was held against a light bar, his plating letting off a horrible smell of burning wires and protoflesh. He howled and ripped his arm away, retreating to the other side of his cell. Vortex hissed quietly at him, rotors shuffling angrily.

The howl of pain had brought guards running, two burly Autobots surprised to find the tank was the damaged one. Their gazes turned to Vortex and frowned. They had heard he was dangerous and now he had proven the fact by randomly attacking. They had no idea Quake had made the first move, only observing the retreating and half melted bot. 

"Alright, that's enough out of you!" one of the guards snapped, motioning for Vortex to come forward. "Do we have to move you again? Because we will if we have to." 

Vortex narrowed his optics, his red visor growing brighter with alertness. Was he going to have to fight them? He figured he might as well. It would give him something to do and prove that no one could push him around and get away with it. In a flash the helicopter had moved from his place on the far side of the cell to the front where he snagged the guard's chest plating between the bars and pulled roughly. 

The Autobot swore and pulled out a blaster, shooting Vortex four times until the relentless Combaticon finally let go. Furious and in pain since his chest armor had nearly been torn clean off, the guard glowered darkly at Vortex. 

"We're teaching this one a lesson. Stun him."

Vortex shrieked when he was shot with a stun gun, frame jerking a few times before it went entirely stiff from the influx of charge. He swore and hissed when the guards came into the cell and took him out, bringing him to Primus knew where. He had no choice but to go with them, his frame entirely unresponsive to his commands. 

The guard who carried him threw Vortex onto the floor of an empty room, the bot twitching feebly. The impact had hurt and one of his rotor blades was bent for sure. The mech he had wounded early strode over to where he lay, smirking cruelly.

"You think you're so invincible, don't you? You really thought you could kill and torture our friends and allies all this time and not be punished for it. I know who you are. You're the interrogator for the Decepticons. You took pleasure in destroying lives, so now it's time for payback!"

The mech kicked Vortex as hard as he could in the middle plating, the vulnerable Combaticon unable to defend the blow at all. He gagged once and then purged all over the floor, now laying in a pool of his own rejected fuel. The guards looming over him snickered.

"He's so weak! Look at him!"

Vortex held back a whine when he was kicked in the faceplate, his visor cracking and his jaw popping out of place. Before he knew it he was being grabbed and thrown again, frame crashing into a wall before he slumped down onto the cold floor. Bloody spittle dribbled out of his mouth behind his battle mask, the bot careful not to outwardly make much noise. It would only goad the guards into a stronger blood frenzy.

"I'm going to rip his cover off. I want to see if he's worth having." 

Vortex felt his tank sink when he heard what they had planned and snarled as nastily as he could when the blue and yellow guard approached him, already pumping his released spike to get it harder. A hand went between Vortex's legs and the bot tried to close them or kick, funding his frame only gave a weak twitch. A moment later his valve panel was forced back manually and the guard who had been attacked knelt down between forced open thighs. 

"About time for you to learn your place among Autobots now," the yellow and blue mech spat, mounting without a care for how unprepared Vortex was. 

That brought a scream out of Vortex, the mech yowling with the burning pain of a spike forcing its way into him. He could do nothing other than make noise, his stunned frame allowing him to be easy prey. The guard made sure to frag him until he was about to overload, pulling out before he did and shooting his load over Vortex's back.

"You want a go, Snapkick?" 

"Nah, I'm going back for Quake. He and I have a little agreement going," the second guard said, the big truck actually blushing a bit. The yellow and blue bot snickered.

"You're already bringing him home with you?" 

"I think so. He's a nice guy under all the tank fussiness. Once you understand how they work-"  
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let's throw him back in his cell and pretend nothing happened. No one will notice a thing by tomorrow."

The bot knelt down and wiped off the silvery strands of transfluid to hide the evidence of rape and pushed Vortex's cover back into place. Once that was done, he hauled Vortex up into his arms and plodded out. Snapkick followed behind, nervous and not all that comfortable with what he had witnessed. Sure, the Decepticons had been mean but they were bots just like they were...

The yellow and blue mech dumped Vorted back in his cell once they arrived and put up the light bars again, shooting a glare at Quake who was gawking. The tank cowered under the gaze of the bulldozer, optics downcast. He knew better than Vortex. Never challenge those who held you prisoner or you would regret it.

"Hey," Snapkick called softly to Quake once the other bot had left. Quake perked up and came to the bars, rumbling happily. 

"Hey. What happened? You didn't need to beat him up 'cause of me."

"Wasn't my idea, big guy. Anyway, I'll come by tonight on my off shift and get you patched up. Sound good?"

"Sure does," Quake said, content to wait it out until Snapkick came to tend to him. Once his soon-to-be owner walked away, he quietly lay down on the floor to nap, keeping his eyes away from Vortex's abused frame. Maybe if he didn't look it would all go away, just like a terrible nightmare.

***

Vortex ached all over. His valve hurt most of all, the mech whining softly as he pulled back the cover and tried to fix it. The damage was deep inside, his inner mesh torn or swollen so that he could hardly move his legs without a great deal of pain. His rotor ached and his face stung. The guards had made sure he learned his lesson. He could trust none of them whatsoever. 

It was dark in the brig, but he saw the light bars of Quake's cell do down at one point and then back up again. He pretended to be in recharge, listening closely. There was some murmured talking and then a soft rumble-purr. Snapkick had come to see Quake against orders. Vortex bristled with jealously of all things. Why didn't anyone come to see him?! He was better than the tank!

He winced when he heard some scuffling about and then a soft groan, followed by a much louder grunt. After that the sound of moving metal could be heard in the darkness along with a few sighs or huffs. Vortex recognized the sounds and shivered, retreating as far from the mating pair as he could. Interfacing was scary and bad and painful.

'It doesn't sound like they aren't liking it...' he thought, wincing when he heard Quake make a drawn out sigh of contentment and a moment later a soft growl.

"Sorry, sorry...I'll go slower," came a hushed voice.

"Haven't been topped in forever. Just tight is all," Quake answered in a rough whisper. After that was said their lovemaking continued until Snapkick finished up and there was only the sound of deep breathing from the other cell.

Vortex felt dirty and terrorized. His paranoia and suspicious nature worsened within the course of a few cycles, the lunar cycle making him a great deal crazier. Everyone was out to get him, most of all the Autobots. He would not be someone's pet and he certainly would not allow anyone else to lay a hand on him. All other bots except his gestalt brothers were pure evil and he would fight them as hard as he could in order to stay unharmed.

'No one touches me. That way they can't kick my face and frag me raw. I hate them. I hate everyone,' Vortex growled to himself, curling into the tightest ball of misery he could before he fell into a restless recharge plagued with flashbacks of what had befallen him that solar cycle.


	4. Chapter 4

The starship had landed and everyone aboard was in a rush of some kind. The Autobots wanted to unload and get on with their lives when not hunting down runaway Decepticons while the former Decepticons wanted to stay as far away from Autobot control as possible. The brig was extremely loud, bots shouting and throwing fits inside their cells. Not many of them were pleased with their fate.

Some had been claimed for free by the crew, the select Decepticons spared from the torturous auction process. Quake and two others had been claimed by those working on the starship, able to get their new companion for free since they had done the hunting.

Vortex sat on his uncomfortable berth, watching everyone moving around with pure hate. His valve hadn't healed well and he was still sore. Thankfully the other damage had self repaired, the only remaining evidence of the punishment within his valve and memory files. The Combaticon watched Quake more than anyone else, wanting to see what would become of him. He hoped the bot had to go to auction like the rest of them and suffer even more. Vortex loathed the bot now because he had someone who loved him.

Sure enough, Snapkick came to claim Quake before the main group of prisoners were unloaded. The tank was thrilled when he saw he wouldn't be harshly examined and displayed to a crowd of bots with potentially malicious intentions.

"Hey, buddy! I get to take you home!" Snapkick announced, the anti-aircraft truck beaming with joy and some pride. To have a tank was a rare thing those solar cycles. Most of them had been killed during the war as they were always on the front lines.

"Hope you have enough room," Quake answered, coming right to the light bars and eagerly awaiting his partial freedom. While he was a slave, he was loved and felt like he was still an equal.

"I have a huge berth, trust me. You'll fit," Snapkick purred, yellow optics so full of warmth Vortex had to look away. Thankfully his washer fluid tears were hidden behind his visor, the realization that he was never going to have someone care for him setting in.

When he got the strength to look back up, he saw Snapkick clip a collar around Quake's neck and lead him out of his cell. Two Decepticon sports models were also taken out before the others, the clamor in the brig growing louder as the remaining bots begged to be taken as well. No one wanted to go through the auction process.

Each had been evaluated by Rung earlier in the trip. All except for Vortex. The prisoners were unloaded one by one and led away, some fighting while others walked with their heads hung. Yet Vortex remained, pressed tightly into the corner of his cell under his berth. The slab of metal offered a roof of sorts to the helicopter's hideout, the Combaticon unwilling to move from his spot. Maybe if he was silent and didn't move they would forget he was there and let him starve to death in peace.

***

Black Shadow hung back in his cell when he saw his former crew being ushered out under lock and chain to Primus knows where. He curled a lip when some Elite Guards approached his cell and made an audible growl when he saw Prowl among them. Now things were going to get interesting.

"What do you want?" he snapped, wings flaring on his back.

"We ask that you come quietly or we will have to use more extreme measures to move you. Regardless, you will be exiting this starship and be in the custody of Autobots," Prowl said, the unfeeling bot waiting to see what choice Black Shadow would make. The huge black and red mech glared, taking a moment to decide his course of action.

'Let them think I lost all the fight in me. Go quietly now and attack later. That's a good plan,' he decided, venting loudly before he shrugged. 

"Alright, fine. I'll come along only because I don't want to be shocked again with a damned stun gun. So keep those things outta my face," he griped, staying still and trying to make himself look as unthreatening as possible as two guards came in to clip a collar around his neck.

'The infamous shock collar. I can't believe I'm actually going to be wearing one of these...' Black Shadow thought in disgust as the bots clipped it around his neck. It fit snuggly but not in a bad way, the metal not all that bothersome. It felt as though nothing were there at all.

"Come with us."

"Yessir," Black Shadow huffed, plodding out of his cell and following Prowl while a circle of Elite Guards circled him. They feared him, and for good reason. He had killed so many and terrorized the Autobot ranks while he and the Decepticon cause had been in their prime. They were smart to give him distance.

He became confused when they passed by the main auction warehouse at the loading docks of the starship port, his optic ridges raising. Why were they moving past the auction area? 

"Am I not good enough to be sold? Am I damaged goods or something?"

"No, you will serve a different purpose. You are the first six phaser we have ever had, Black Shadow. We want to learn from you and understand how you were modified. Once we have asked enough questions we will rehome you or find another use which you might preform," Prowl answered, in truth quite curious about the six phaser and how he worked.

Black Shadow felt his tank drop and he felt sick, stumbling slightly as he was led into an unmarked building. So they were going to torture him until he gave them answers. He didn't much care for torture and would likely give up whatever they wanted to know right from the start. Why hold back information now? The war was over and he was on the losing side.

The six phaser was led down a long hallway and then into a huge space that must have been under the building. Inside the area was a large berth surrounded by all sorts of rolling carts with monitors, tools, and Primus knows what else. Black Shadow balked when he spotted straps on the berth and felt his sparkrate increase.

It was a laboratory and he was the lab subject. 

The big mech snapped, suddenly lashing out at the nearest Autobot in a blind panic. He had to get away from this. Torture he could do, experimenting he could not. The shock collar buzzed a warning (which he ignored), and a moment later he was convulsing on the floor screaming his head off. The collar had punished him greatly for attempting to kill one of his masters and shocked his neural network so hard he shorted out for a moment, unconscious from the intense burst of energy.

Prowl took a step back and watched as the writhing mass that was Black Shadow stilled, save for the mech's heaving sides. That should wear him out and make him more easily managed. The guards around him hauled Black Shadow to his pedes and dragged him towards the berth. He tried to fight again and was swiftly put down by the collar, howling when he was put onto the berth and quickly strapped in.

He lay on his back in a quivering mess, his frame aching all over. They had positioned him so his arms were pressed tight to his sides and his legs were strapped together nice and tight. Black Shadow squirmed and found he was held fast, panting hard from the stress of it all.

"Once we have learned all we can from your frame, we will see what can be done with you. Until then, behave for the scientists," Prowl ordered, turning and calling for his guards to fall back. There was an auction to run and keep in check.

"I'll kill you for this! Every last one of you!" Black Shadow bellowed at their turned backs, fighting as hard as he could. Once the guards had left, he roared again and feverishly battled his restraints.

He hushed when he saw four scientists enter from the same door, curling his lip in a snarl. They approached and gathered around him, optics wide. He recognized two, one Wheeljack and the other Perceptor. They looked down at him with unconcealed awe, one of the unknown bots touching his wing. Black Shadow cursed at them before thrashing about.

"Looks like we have a job to do, bots! Let's crack him open and see what he's got to show us," a maroon and blue bot said, optics bright with excitement and some barely hidden malice.

Black Shadow strained so hard to try and crush the mech's helm that he overtaxed his systems and promptly passed out, now at the mercy of his new masters.

***

 

(~~~Normally I never interrupt a story with something, but this is worth it! Here is an adorable voice over of Rung's character by Crashboombanger on Stormcloud! It's absolutely adorable and I had to share it with you guys! 

https://soundcloud.com/crashboombanger/therapist

Rung is coming to Vortex's rescue, after all!~~~)

 

"Hello there, Vortex! May I come in to speak with you?" a voice asked out of nowhere, gentle but strong in its own way. Whoever was speaking had confidence in what they wanted to speak about and was not afraid of Vortex whatsoever. The helicopter onlined his optics and saw it was the small orange bot who had come for him.

He growled dangerously, a warning to stay away. Despite not having much room under his cave of sorts, it was apparent that Vortex had flattened his rotor blades down against his sides in an aggressive yet scared position. Rung frowned sadly, opening his hands.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Vortex. I need to do an evaluation before you can be let off the ship. Now, do you mind if I enter?" Rung asked again, trying to calm the skittish mech. His soft words had little effect, Vortex still watching him with distrust and fear-driven anger.

Rung vented softly. Something had changed in the aerial in the past solar cycle. He was no longer responsive at all. The last time he had been able to interact with him on some level and be close without worrying that bot would snap. Now he wasn't so sure. Despite the dangers, Rung put down the light bars and entered the cell, making sure to put the barrier up again once he was inside. Now he was trapped inside a jail cell with Vortex, an unstable, unpredictable mech.

Vortex let loose a much louder warning growl to stay away, shuffling further under his safety. Autobots were bad. Even if this one had given him food once, he was surely back to torment or abuse him. Vortex tensed all over and got ready to pounce and attack, optics wildly seeking a way out of his predicament.

Rung saw everything and stopped where he was, now halfway to Vortex. He knelt down and opened a hand to the stricken bot like one would with a skittish mechanimal. He smiled, his entire frame giving off the feeling of calm and security. There was nothing erratic or strange about Rung, the bot pure gentleness and caring. Vortex recoiled at it, imagining it was all fake.

"Easy, easy! I promise I'm only here to ask a few more questions. I wanted to know if you have any brothers or sisters. It's all for my Decipedia! See, I made an Autopedia for the Autobots and now I'm working on one for Decepticons! Would you like to look it over and make sure the information I got for your page is correct?" Rung asked, chatty and cheerful despite the fact he was locked in a cell with a crazy mech. Vortex hissed. 

"Go away! Get out and don't EVER touch me!" Vortex spat, somewhat clawed digits digging into the floor. While he didn't have full on claws like some bots, he had enough for them to be considered dangerous.

Rung frowned at the reaction, deciding something serious must have upset Vortex during his brief trip to New Cybertron. "Would you like to talk about what's bothering you?" he asked, sitting down on the floor as if talking to a bratty sparkling. Vortex gawked, thrown off his guard only because Rung insisted on staying.

"Frag you! I said get out and I mean it! I don't want to talk!" 

"I think it would help you feel better," Rung insisted, keeping his data pad out. "Now, let's start from the beginning-well, after I left you, that is. Are you feeling well? And are your repairs holding up?" 

"I feel like killing you," Vortex hissed, optics narrowed behind his visor. "I want to rip off all your armor bits, shove them down your throat, and play in your energon. Go AWAY!"

Rung raised a large optic ridge and nodded. "That's a start! Okay, so you want me dead. How does it make you feel, thinking about killing me?"

"I know how to do it, so it feels nice. Really nice."

"I take it you resort to killing and threats because they are familiar to you?"

"I like killing stuff..." Vortex grumbled, now picking at the floor. Rung smiled sadly. Primus, this bot needed someone to help him. It was clear he had experienced no other life besides killing and hurt. Vortex was a broken mech and needed someone to put him back together again. There was always a wonderful spark behind mental troubles and Rung was determined to find the goodness in the helicopter.

"What else do you like?" 

"...My gestalt," Vortex said, hesitating. Why was he answering any questions at all?! 

Rung nodded, typing it all down before he rose. Vortex flung himself back against the wall, doing his best to flatten himself against the small safety he had. The psychiatrist held up his hands, carefully backing away towards the light bars. 

"I'm going to go speak with some guards. I will be back shortly." 

Vortex watched Rung leave and was almost sad to see him go, the bot left all alone in the silent brig, waiting for his fate to be sealed.


	5. Chapter 5

Rung walked hesitantly into Springer's office, trying to prepare himself to fight for the mech he was hoping to save. Springer might not approve of the idea so it would take some convincing before he gave in and allowed the rescue to take place. The orange mech set his jaw and tried to look as firm as possible as he entered the office, standing before the large green and yellow triple changer. Springer glanced up, a smile on his stressed faceplate. 

"Ah, if it isn't Rong! What brings you here?" 

"It's Rung, sir. As for why I am here, I want to have Vortex. He's still in the brig and I would like it very much if I could bring him home with me."

Springer balked, visibly thrown off guard at the request. Never had he imagined someone would ask to take Vortex. He had gotten four reports during the solar cycle and a half trip back to New Cybertron that Vortex had caused two fights with the bot in the neighboring cell and had attacked the guards trying to feed him. He was dangerous and unruly, more trouble than he was worth. And he was certainly too much trouble for a bot like Rung to handle.

"You could have had any of the other ones we brought back! They're being held in the auction house for a solar cycle but I can write you a pass so you can pick up any one of them that you would like. Ring, listen to me when I say that Vortex is not what you want. You can have a much gentler, nicer bot to spend your time with."

Rung frowned, optical ridges furrowed angrily. "Who are you to tell me what I do and do not want? I am asking for Vortex. That is the one I have picked. I would appreciate it very much if you would give me a shock collar so I can take him off your hands sooner."

Springer once again was caught off guard. Never had he expected Rung, the old, small model to say anything like that to him. It took some ball bearings and it was obvious he really wanted Vortex...

"Alright, he's yours. I'll give you a copy of his paperwork. I want you to have all his history so in case you decide you don't want him, it will be an informed decision," Springer said gruffly, downloading Vortex's criminal file before he handed over the thin data chip. "I'll have two guards help you get the shock collar on. I highly doubt he will enjoy being tamed."

"No," Rung said softly, optics sorrowful behind his glasses. "I couldn't imagine anyone would."

***

Vortex was horrified when he saw two guards flanking Rung upon his return. He hadn't done anything wrong! He had stayed huddled under the berth in complete silence, trying to avoid being seen by anyone passing by. He spotted a shock collar in the hands of one of the bots and recoiled. He was not a pet! He was a Combaticon and belonged to no one besides himself and his gestalt!

"Vortex, I have wonderful news for you! I can bring you home and take you away from here! You won't have to endure the horrible treatment in the auction house and you can have your own berth to recharge in as well as any fuel items you would like!" Rung called brightly, hoping he could make the ordeal less scary for the helicopter. It was all he could do until Vortex was fully in his care.

The guards brought down the light bars and entered, both mechs large SUV models. They were much stronger than Rung and would ensure the shock collar got where it needed to go. Vortex growled his usual warning growl, staying pressed into his hiding spot. The silver SUV who held the collar vented with annoyance, seeing the current problem.

"Alright, come out of there. Or else we have to drag you out," he grumbled, getting ready to risk it and grab Vortex. The helicopter mech bristled like an enraged mechanimal feline, optics full of hate as he watched the hand coming closer. 

Vortex's battle mask pulled back and he bit down as hard as he could on the silver hand, the guard cursing loudly when the Combaticon drew energon. Vortex relented his attack only when the other guard grabbed his ankle and dragged him out from under his berth, the unstable helicopter turning on him and driving his claws in between arm plating. 

"Frag, he's a nasty one!" the guard with the collar spat, snatching Vortex by the nape of his neck and forcing him into the floor so he couldn't bite anymore. His wrists were pinned by the second guard, both mechs avoiding his frantic kicking. "You sure this is the one you want, bud? He's got a nasty bite on him."

Rung had blanched at the scene before him, stunned at how Vortex had reacted and how the guards were forcing him to remain under control. "No, I w-want this one. He is going to be my patient until we can resolve these behaviors."

"Oooh, I get it. So he'll go to the auction house after you make him friendlier?"

"I'm not sure," Rung said softly, pulling away and turning his gaze to the floor so he didn't have to witness the struggle before him.

Vortex battled the guards for as long as he could, his ferocity growing when he felt the second guard put a hand on his thigh to stop the kicking. That got a higher pitched snarl out of the gray mech, Vortex trying to escape all the harder. Rung watched the behavior with curiosity. He hadn't done this when First Aid had touched him. Sure, he always said he didn't want to be touched, but he had never reacted in a fearful way.

'They must have done something to him...The poor bot has been abused in only one solar cycle,' Rung realized, taking a step forward as if to help. He stalled then, seeing there was nothing he could do to help until Vortex was collared.

The silver guard with his now bleeding hand finally clipped the shock collar around Vortex's neck and the helicopter went still, spitting and swearing but not lashing out as much. He has seen what the shock collars did and he was saving his energy to attack the orange bot who had pointed out he was still on the ship. It was all his fault that they had come to ruin his life.

"I'll kill you," Vortex muttered, optics locking onto Rung's frame. The guards let him up after one got a leash hooked up to the collar, the bot tugging on it to get Vortex's attention.

"Listen up. This nice bot took pity on you and got you before the auction house did. So behave and be good to him. He saved your aft, you nasty thing," the silver mech said, handing the leash over to Rung. "Watch out for him. The shock collars only mildly shock for biting since it can't cause much damage, so be ready to have a few dents and possibly a little less energon."

The guards moved out, the one who had been bitten wiping away the energon and the other gingerly pawing at his clawed arm. Now Rung was alone with Vortex, the aerial's rotors flattened so tightly to his frame that it almost looked like he wasn't an aerial at all. The psychiatrist glanced down at the copper leash in his hands and swallowed dryly. This was not what he had expected.

"Vortex? I think we should talk this out before we return to my home. I want to make it very clear to you that I will not abuse or hurt you in any way. I am here to help with anything that I can."

Vortex glared, his expression dark behind his visor and battle mask. 

"You think you can fix me? That's what they all say," he growled, moving as far away as the leash would let him. "None of them made me better."

"I am still going to try!" Rung said, determined to promote mental healing with a bot who needed it so desperately.

Vortex cackled to himself, starting to mutter about his issues and how no one knew what to do with him. Rung recorded it all, the ramblings sure to help him uncover more about the bot hiding behind all the aggression and insanity.

***

Black Shadow came to with the feeling that he was drooling. Wondering why it felt like he was recharging on his back (which he normally didn't do), he onlined his optics to find Perceptor holding his jaw open while one of the unknown scientists shone a light into his throat. They said something to each other before Wheeljack typed information they had discovered on a data pad. They were doing exams on him already and he was still strapped on his back to the berth.

The six phaser let out a deep chested growl and was pleased when Perceptor threw himself back and nearly fell, the black and red mech clamping his jaw shut after that. He did not want anyone gawking down his throat, thank you! Wheeljack helped steady Perceptor while the other two mechs came rushing over to see what was happening.

"Looks like the big guy is awake! We can work around that, I'm sure. Nothing too invasive this solar cycle, right?" the maroon and blue bot announced, Black Shadow taking him to be the leader of the group. It was a pity he was since there was so much nastiness and hate flashing across the sedan mech's faceplate as he looked down at the six phaser.

"Don't act like I can't hear you, scum! I'm here and the moment you slip up, I will kill you," Black Shadow vowed, optics flicking about the room as he tried to find exits. There were two, but the straps that held him down were strong.

He raised an optic ridge when he saw they had moved him while he was unconscious. His legs were spread apart and his arms were as well. This was somewhat concerning considering he was a test subject. They had spread him out to inflict more harm. The unnamed maroon and blue bot smiled at him, the sickly sweet expression chilling him more than he liked to admit.

"How about we begin with some joint testing, some CNA scans, then we can see what sort of spark configuration we're dealing with. After that, we can move into the more interesting areas..." 

"Cybershot, let's think this through! Checking on the spark might require the patient to be unconscious. It wouldn't be fair to tear him open if he isn't willing to part those pretty chest plates of his for us on his own," Wheeljack said, standing firmly against the maltreatment of the six phaser. As much as he loved learning, he would not torture a bot or a mechanimal, no matter how bad or dangerous they might seem. Cybershot snorted, as if he found Wheeljack amusing with his request.

"This is a Decepticon, Wheeljack! You know they don't have feelings," Cybershot purred, resting a hand on Black Shadow's vulnerable middle plating. The six phaser snarled, the touch cold and full of ill intent. Wheeljack shook his head in refusal of the idea.

"They feel just like every one of us! Cybershot, I don't want to get into a fight with you about this. We put him to sleep for the bigger procedures." 

"I say we don't, and I outrank you. So we do what I say," Cybershot said easily, waving Wheeljack away with a dismissive hand gesture. "Do the small tests while I get ready for the other ones I had in mind."

Wheeljack vented softly, hating every click of his job as he waited for Perceptor to get a full body scan one more time before they started. He and the microscope-former then went to each of Black Shadow's transformation joints to get samples of the fluids that were used to make the changes into other alt modes easier. It was possible he had been genetically changed there and it was the best place to start.

Black Shadow hissed and swore as each needle poked him in places that hurt, the mech snapping and thrashing like a wrangled cyber-alligator. Nothing worked and in the end he endured the procedure until it was through. After that an energon sample was collected which he didn't fuss as much about. Wheeljack found his main line the first try and didn't make it any more painful than it needed to be.

"Aren't you going to torture me? Ask me questions?" Black Shadow demanded, rumbling nastily when Perceptor started pawing around at his middle, checking to see if all his internal components were the same shape as those in other bots. He said nothing, turning his head away in shame. He and Wheeljack obviously wanted no part in what was going on.

"Oh, no no no! What fun would that be? We're scientists, we live to discover!" Cybershot laughed, rolling a cart over that held clamps and a small tool.

"What's that for?" 

"We need to see your spark and I figured you wouldn't want to open nicely, so we'll pry you open," Cybershot said, taking the small cylindrical metal piece and fitting it between Black Shadow's main chest plates. He clicked a tiny button on the metal device and it started to elongate, automatically forcing the chest plates apart.

"No!" Black Shadow gasped, forcing his frame to resist. He could hold his chest in place for a while, but not forever. Wheeljack was frowning behind his battle mask, the scientist furious at what he was seeing. This was abuse, not discovery.

"Ah-ah! No trying to break my equipment!" Cybershot snapped, swiftly jabbing Black Shadow's middle. The mech jerked at the intake stealing blow, the one split klick break in his resolve all the small device needed to crack his chest plates apart and continue to force them open. He could no longer hold them together with the internal latch, his very life essence bared to the enemy.

"Cybershot, this is wrong!" Wheeljack said, stepping forward to take action. Cybershot held him back with a deadly glare, dark purple optics violent. If Wheeljack dared to stop what was happening, he would dearly regret it. And so he stood down.

Black Shadow roared in pain as he tried to push his chest plates back together against the force of the device, panting heavily. After four brutal clicks of fighting with the inevitable, he gave in and let the metal bar finish, giving no more resistance. Cybershot grinned, optics delighting in the sight of a black and red marbled spark energy pulsing quickly under his gaze.

"That wasn't so bad, was it? Now, let's do some more scans. I also want a sample of CNA from the spark chamber."

"That is quite dangerous-" Perceptor began, deciding he must speak about that. It could kill Black Shadow if done wrong. Cybershot scoffed, uncaring in the plea to rethink.

"You are the most experienced, so you take the sample. Sound good? I'm going to analyze everything we have so far with Scatterplot."

Cybershot left after handing Perceptor the tool he needed to take a spark chamber sample. Black Shadow lay panting heavily on the table, optics full of refusal and defiance. Perceptor inwardly groaned before he buckled down and leaned over the six phaser until he was up close and personal with the mech's massive spark energy. The swirling ball of black and red flared when the small bot's hand came too close, trying to ward off the attack.

'I am so sorry,' Perceptor thought with resignation as he took the small collection tool and eased it as gently as he could between the spark and the metal and mesh casing around it.

Black Shadow's optics went wide and he let out quite a scream, the burning, piercing pain at the violation of his very being coursing through him. His spark tightened itself considerably, the energy huddling closely packed towards the back of the chamber while Perceptor scraped some of the mesh and metal away into the tool's scooped collection area. The six phaser never stopped making noise, some of the howls and roars those of pure fear rather than pain.

"We should have had him in induced recharge for this," Wheeljack said, grateful when Percy got the sample they needed and swiftly withdrew from Black Shadow's spark area. The smaller bot also took the device out and helped an exhausted six changer close his chest plates back up again.

"He is a monster," Perceptor sighed, a headache raging in his processor after the screaming and stress of it all. "And you know he won't stop there. Remember what he told us last lunar cycle?" 

"How could I forget? Let's just pray this guy's frame can't handle it," Wheeljack answered, shutting off his optics as Perceptor walked into the laboratory analysis room.

He stood beside Black Shadow, listening to the panic stricken sounds of a mech who knew his fate was worse than death. Black Shadow was a living lab subject, sprawled out as a giant project for a bot who only wanted to cause misery and pain in whatever form possible. In a way Wheeljack wished Black Shadow would somehow die before the worst came to be, but he knew the bot was too strong for that. He would endure as long as he could, the horrors that would await looming in his distant future.


	6. Chapter 6

Rung had a difficult time getting Vortex home. The whole way back to the apartment the aerial had caused whatever trouble he could possibly come up with. He knocked over four bots who passed by, tried to bite Rung twice while he attempted to readjust the leash which had gotten tangled close to Vortex's neck, and had pulled and yanked so much on the lead that Rung was sure his hand (or entire are) would fall off by the end of everything.

"Alright, we made it! This is my humble abode. Would you like a tour?"

No answer. 

"Come along, then. I will show you around so you can feel at home as much as I do! This is the kitchen, the living room, the..."

Vortex was baffled by how happy Rung was. He had done whatever he could to bring misery upon the small orange mech and none of it had worked whatsoever. Rung remained cheerful and calm the entire time, only raising his voice once Vortex tried to bite the second time. Now he was being toted around the living space, digging in his heels but reluctantly obeying once the shock collar zapped him enough times.

"I assume you would like your own room, so I had my guest accommodations all set up for you by my lovely cleaning drone. His name is Wilbur and he is exceptionally kind. Please refrain from biting or terrorizing him as I care for the mech very much."

Vortex took that into his memory files and decided he would kill the damned drone whenever he saw it. That would teach Rung a lesson! 

"I hate you."

"Can we talk about your feelings towards me? I was thinking we would do so after some fuel but if you want to talk now I am more than happy to oblige," Rung said brightly, sitting down on the guest berth and tugging Vortex along until he did the same, rotors flattened angrily. 

"I hate you. I hate all of you," Vortex said, glowering. His valve throbbed after all the walking and he just wanted to be left alone. Rung smiled sadly, seeing the turmoil within the other mech.

"What made you upset with me, Vortex?"

Vortex glanced up when his name was spoken with such gentleness, confused at how it sounded. It was as if Rung had made him a whole different person when he said his name, the word no longer who he was. There was absolutely nothing gentle or soft about Vortex. 

"You let them collar me!"

"I came to rescue you from the auction house. Would you like me to relinquish you there? If that is what you want-"

"Get out!" Vortex suddenly snapped, launching himself in a blind fury at the other bot. He had no idea what set him off, assuming it was something about Rung's vocal tone when discussing giving him up, and attempted to do as much damage as possible. 

He bit down as hard as he could on Rung's wrist before the shock collar registered murderous intent. A moment later Vortex was a yowling mess on the floor, jerking and writhing as the collar punished him severely for the bad behavior. Rung covered his audio receptors, the sounds that came from Vortex painfully hard to listen to.

"Vortex, please! Please, I never want to hurt you!" Rung said tenderly, the bot trying to do damage control. "I'll bring you some energon and let you rest. I think it is best if we had a good deal of time apart before we attempt any more sessions. Okay?"

Vortex growled in reply, relaxing only when Rung scurried out of the room and shut the door, leaving him alone so he could collect his thoughts.

***

Vortex was surprised to find Rung could avoid him quite easily. He hadn't had contact with anyone for a whole deca cycle, finding fuel in the kitchen and wandering around the apartment alone. Rung's room was off limits and always locked, the little mech likely hiding out inside it while the former Decpeticon had full free range of the living space. During the first few solar cycles he had enjoyed the solitude, throwing fits and ruining as much as he could within the apartment, but soon resorted to talking to himself and wishing he could have someone to mess with...or maybe even hang out with.

"Mean, making me all alone like this...Ons wouldn't have done it! He liked me. So did Brawl. My best buddies!" Vortex muttered, sitting down on the couch and rocking slowly back and forth as he talked to himself, "I wonder if they're okay...I wonder if they wonder about me, too."

Vortex chattered to himself until he finally fell into recharge sprawled across the couch. Memory surges plagued his sleep and he soon found himself reliving his capture as well as the horrible solar cycle when he had been separated from his gestalt. Brawl had been captured first, then Onslaught. Swindle disappeared one lunar cycle and so did Blast Off, their whereabouts entirely unknown. Then all that had been left was Vortex, the mech wandering about until he found someone who would take him in and help him escape.

In his brutal dreams he heard Brawl's screams for someone to save him as he was mercilessly attacked by the Elite Guard, Onslaught forcing the rest of the gestalt to move on. He had been trying so hard to keep them safe but knew that he could not jeopardize them all for one mech. In the end Vortex had been forced to leave his closest friend behind, his howls of terror-something he had never heard from gruff Brawl before-echoing in his memories. 

Vortex jolted awake and shot off the couch in a panic, the helicopter skittering across the floor towards Rung's room. He flung himself at the door, clawed digits scrabbling at the barrier between him and the last bot who gave a slag whether or not he was cared for. A loud keen escaped before he could hush the sound, the Combaticon nearly in tears. He didn't care if he was weak anymore. He wanted someone to hold him like Onslaught used to when he had paranoia episodes. 

"Rung, help! Let me in, let me in!" Vortex yelled, optics wild like a panicked turbo-horse. 

The door swung open and there was Rung, the mech concerned when he heard the new tone in Vortex's voice. He was surprised when Vortex rushed to him and pressed close, sides heaving as he hyperventilated from the stress. Rung gently led Vortex to the berth after shutting the door and sat him down, the gray bot shaking all over.

"Vortex, it's okay...You're okay. The memories can't hurt you," Rung soothed, softly rubbing circles into Vortex's back. For a brief moment it appeared as though Vortex might reject the attention, but instead he shifted his rotor blades to either side and let Rung touch him.

"They hurt me every solar cycle."

"Then let's talk about them. Start from the beginning and tell me everything you can and how it made you feel. We're going to make you better, I promise."

And so Vortex began with the first thing that came to mind, rambling away as Rung took notes and pet his patient's back, stopping only when he felt the tension there ease and knew his patient would be alright.

***

Four solar cycles passed and Black Shadow had never been through so much torture. He had been under Cybershot's mercy for what felt like one thousand vorns, his frame cracked open and exposed in all sorts of places. His chest plates were kept perpetually apart despite the pleas from Wheeljack and Perceptor to give him the common decency of some privacy. Cybershot refused the request, content to ruin Black Shadow part by part.

"Now that we've done all the analyzing, I think it's time we start working on getting more six phasers! From the sample we took he appears to be fertile, so I suggest we get working on swelling his pretty middle plating!" Cybershot announced, having come back from a full solar cycle of analyzing data to see that Black Shadow was not only made into a six phaser, he was also genetically a carrier of the extremely rare gene.

Wheeljack visibly blanched at the idea while Black Shadow held back a groan of defeat. As he had suspected, he would become breeding stock for the vile scientists. He could do nothing to refuse the treatment, his legs spread apart and his valve and spike open for all to see and manipulate as they liked. By now he had given up fighting and instead had begin pleading in earnest. He had credits to bribe his way out, but each time Cybershot laughed and continued his work.

"Please..." he croaked, turning his gaze to Wheeljack and Perceptor, the only ones who were willing to pity him. "I can't..."

"Who says you can't? Your charts give me all the information I need to get you producing young quite easily. Scatterplot, bring me the tools I need. I want to syphon all his transfluid before we head for the valve."

Black Shadow feebly twitched when his flaccid spike was roughly grabbed by Cybershot, his assistant bringing a glass vial and a thin but flexible tube. The six phaser had nearly broken his vocalizer with all his screaming before then, but he made quite a fuss when Cybershot began to force the tube into his spike towards the transfluid chamber. 

"You didn't put any lubricant on it!" Wheeljack shouted above Black Shadows shrieks for mercy and forgiveness for his past deeds. Cybershot sniffed, waving Wheeljack away as he always did when bothered.

"He doesn't need lubricant. His transfluid channel is big enough to take this without damage. I already checked from the scans," the maroon and blue mech said, shrugging as he forced the tube deeper.

At last Cybershot pushed the tube into the transfluid chamber and grinned when Black Shadow's frame involuntarily released, silvery white transfluid draining out into the collection vial. The black and red mech had gone silent save for low moans of desperation, his spike feeling as if it were on fire. The torture stopped only once his entire chamber was emptied of genetic material, Cybershot cruelly twisting the tube as he removed it to cause yet more misery.

"Take the sample back to the lab and prepare it. I'll have some slave shuttles and tanks come to be inseminated. That way we can see if any lovely six phasers can be produced the easy way. And while we wait for applications, I'll get our favorite patient ready for his donation."

Black Shadow whimpered when Cybershot spread deep red valve folds and shoved a large speculum between them, pushing it until it was fully sheathed in soft protoflesh. The mech howled, making a racket as Cybershot peered inside with a light to see the gel wall of the gestation chamber. It appeared healthy and showed no signs of being flawed, the plan he had concocted sure to work perfectly. 

"Scatterplot, bring me the device and make sure it's full. I want him to get a good dose his first time."

Black Shadow's optics rolled wildly like those of a panicked horse, staring at Wheeljack as his frame shook with horror. This was really happening and he knew full well that it wasn't a dream. Scatterplot brought over what looked like a large metal rod with a canister on one end and a point with a large slit on the other. Black Shadow knew the large canister was full of transfluid and it was all going one place-into him.

"It's alright...You'll be okay. It's just going to hurt for a click," Wheeljack said gently, placing a soothing hand in Black Shadow's clenching paw. The red and black mech choked up with the gesture and felt washer fluid escape his optics as Cybershot plunged the insemination device into the open cavity made by the speculum.

Black Shadow's vocalizer shorted out with the scream he made as the sharp point pierced his gel wall and the canister began pumping him full of transfluid. The liquid was chilled to keep the CNA alive while being stored and hurt his warm insides, the pressure building as gallon after gallon was deposited. His middle plating didn't show a difference, but he felt the new weight within his frame as Cybershot pulled the emptied tool free.

"Looks like he held," the bot said cheerfully, checking inside the abused valve to find the gel wall had accepted the transfluid and hadn't let much dribble out. "We'll have some six phasers in no time! I wonder if they'll take after me. I was the first donator of transfluid and all."

Cybershot turned away to clean the tools and Wheeljack gently wiped away Black Shadow's tears with a soft mesh cloth. The Decepticon looked away in shame and humiliation, saying nothing as he was tended to. He had never thought anyone could break him, but they had. His most vile captor had just forced him into carrying his spawn, treating him like a host breeder. 

"Kill me...please...don't let him win," Black Shadow whispered, his hand curling helplessly around Wheeljack's. "Please..."

"I'll find a way to stop him, don't worry. I've gotcha," Wheeljack assured. He had no real plan yet, but he knew he had to figure something out. If he could get Black Shadow away from Cybershot, things for the former Decepticon could look up.

He gently pet Black Shadow's strapped down arm as he moved away, feeling the pleading gaze of the other mech watching him all the back to his tiny office.

***

Cybershot was furious. Black Shadow wouldn't take with sparklings no matter how much transfluid he received and how many drugs he was given to induce carrying and sparkling growth. Each time he was inseminated the transfluid was absorbed into his frame and refused. Different Sires were tried, each with the same results. Black Shadow would not carry.

Cybershot had even done an implant procedure to see if the frame would also absorb a more developed sparkling template. Black Shadow's frame had rejected the unknown young and destroyed it within his frame, leaving Cybershot in a blind rage and Wheeljack thrilled. Maybe the sexual experimentations would end...

"He's useless! Entirely useless!" Cybershot roared, slamming a fist into Black Shadow's middle plating above his gestation chamber. The mech coughed and grimaced at the strike he could not defend against, too worn out to even move away.

After four rounds of experiments with his spike and valve, he was too tired to care about anything anymore. Wheeljack had tried each time to spare him the misery, yet each attempt failed. Thankfully no one had brought their slaves in to be breeders for his transfluid, not even their cruel masters wanting to subject their pets to such tortures.

"I say give him up for auction. Someone will pay good credits for him and we can make ourselves a better lab facility," Scatterplot said, the Minibot no longer a fan of living experiments. He preferred the ones where you mixed chemicals together and created something that benefited their kind, not harmed it. Cybershot turned to him in a flurry of rage, striking him hard across the face.

"Give this up?! Not me! I will gut him myself and see what makes him tick!"

Before anyone could stop him, Cybershot grabbed a laser scalpel from a cart and sliced into Black Shadow's middle plating, the behemoth surprisingly silent as he tried to jerk his frame away from the cold burn of the knife. Cybershot grinned at his horrified and agonized faceplate, optics wild. 

"You should have been what I wanted, Black Shadow! Now I all I get to do is dissect you and see how long it takes before you perish-"

Cybershot suddenly fell to the floor in an convulsing heap, Wheeljack standing behind him with a paralysis gun. Perceptor and Scatterplot gawked at him, the panting tricolor mech's optics narrowed. He had had enough. 

"Percy, help me repair Black Shadow. Scatterplot, call the police. We have a criminal who has to leave."

Both bots nodded while Black Shadow full relaxed, everyone glad they were finally free.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is just for Rung and Vortex. They had to have a moment together <3 
> 
> The next update will be purely Black Shadow~

"Do you feel better now?" Rung asked gently once Vortex had finished his many stories of misery. The helicopter nodded slowly, rotor blades flicking with agreement.

"Much better."

Rung had spent the entire lunar cycle with the Combaticon, taking down all he could for notes as he tried to understand what had happened. Vortex was many things, but he was not entirely evil like some would think. He was difficult, moody, and unpredictable, all things that made many bots afraid. In the end Rung saw that the misunderstood creation was really just scared and abused. After so many vorns of bad treatment anyone would act strangely.

"What concerns me the most is what the guards did to you. Did they violate you?" Rung asked so quietly it was barely above a whisper. Vortex hissed, rotor blades that had been at ease a moment before swiftly flattening to his frame. He answer was a clear 'yes.'

"I hate them," Vortex spat, curling inwards slightly as he remembered it all. "The yellow and blue one was worse. I'll make sure to melt his optics out when I get the chance..."

"I think we should take you to a medic to do a full scan. I would never want you to be hurt and not try to help!" Rung said, standing up and grabbing the leash that had been set on his small berthside table. Vortex got up as well, although not for the reason Rung was hoping for. Instead Vortex bolted out of the room and into the apartment to find a hiding spot. He did not like the idea of a medic fussing about with his valve. It would hurt, therefore he would not participate.

"Vortex! Vortex, no! Bad! You have to go or I will feel dreadful!" Rung called, his raised voice not even close to a normal shout.

He rushed out after Vortex and began the tedious apartment search for his unruly Combaticon, spending a full half cycle before he found the aerial had crammed himself into a kitchen cabinet. Rung knelt down and tried to clip the leash to the collar, yelping when his hand was bitten quite hard. Another yelp echoed his combined with the sound of electricity. Vortex's collar had reprimanded him for biting as it should.

"You must stop this biting habit at once!" Rung sighed, getting bit four more times before he managed to clip the leash to the collar ring. Once he did so he used all his strength to drag Vortex from his hiding spot. "Vortex, you have to walk!" 

Vortex refused the order, digging in his heels as Rung was forced to drag him out of the apartment and towards the Main Medical Bay of New Cybertron. The determined psychiatrist was quite worn out by the time he reached the building and pushed Vortex inside, the desk clerk not at all surprised by the sight. Not many bots liked going to med bay.

"Ratchet is available if you want to bring your bot into the main room. He can take care of you from there," the femme said, moving backwards when Vortex snarled and flared his rotor blades at her. Rung scolded him for being rude and pulled him into the main medical space.

"Rung!" Ratchet barked, surprised to see the small mech there with a pet. He had never taken Rung for the type to want anyone under his control. He was even more stunned when he saw who the bot was. "You brought VORTEX?"

"Ratchet, he has been abused and I fear it might be in the worst possible way. Can you do a full medical examination on him? Please? I have the credits ready and I am willing to pay for anything he needs," Rung said quickly, thinking he might be turned away. Ratchet smiled, his aged faceplate surprisingly warm.

"I can work on him for free. You're a good friend, Rung," Ratchet said, motioning for him to bring Vortex into a private recovery room. Normally bots were repaired in main med bay where there were more berths, but he could tell Vortex was going to be trouble. "Is he aggressive?"

"Yes, I would say he is. He managed to bite me about six times today!" Rung said, shaking his head in awe. How a bot could insist on performing a behavior that got them shocked?

"I figured as much." 

Ratchet ignored the growls and hisses of the half-feral Combaticon and heaved the mech into the berth, Vortex whipping around and trying to bite down on his arm. Ratchet was faster and avoided the attack, dentas snapping shut on air with a loud clack. The collar zapped him and Vortex yelped, scratching at the metal band fitted perfectly to his neck.

"That's enough out of you, Vortex. Now behave while I give you a once over," Ratchet commanded, taking the leash from Rung and tying it tightly to a metal bar built into the wall. It made it so Vortex didn't have the range for biting he did before. "Try and keep him calm if you can. I'm going to be pawing him which I doubt he'll like."

"Of course," Rung said, moving over so he was in front of Vortex's faceplate. The gray mech was tugging on the leash, trying to work out of the compromising position. He could only look up since the lead was tight and he had no hope of turning and biting anyone. "Vortex, it's okay. You're safe and Ratchet will help fix what I can't."

Vortex's scarred lip curled when he felt Ratchet's hands checking his sides and middle, feeling for any anomalies. He could do nothing to prevent it, staying on his hands and knees lest he choke himself to death. The sounds of annoyance soon turned to panic when Ratchet got down towards his lower half. Vortex lurched against the tied leash towards Rung, trying to get away.

"Yep, he has been abused recently. There is some uncommon wear on the valve cover and it's sore to the touch. Keep him happy if you can while I clean him up. If he makes a lot of noise, know I'm not trying to be rough. He's not said anything and has a nice infection going on," Ratchet sighed, so used to seeing this in the bots that were brought in. Many Autobots adored the Decepticons they took in while others simply had an outlet for abuse and nothing more.

"Rung, I want to go home! We have to go now!" Vortex said quickly, thrashing as best he could as Ratchet pulled back his valve panel. "No touching!" 

"Vortex, calm down. I'm going to make it feel better," Ratchet rumbled, gruff voice firm. He was confident he could do just what he said.

Vortex squealed and yelped when Ratchet began cleaning the corrosion from the swollen protoflesh of the valve, careful and gentle as could be. He numbed the inner part of the valve with a small shot of neuron disrupting medicine to his lower back. The noise hushed once nothing was felt, Ratchet doing the invasive work while Rung soothed the heavily panting Vortex.

"That's it...you're doing a wonderful job, Vortex," Rung murmured, holding Vortex's head in his hands. Vortex shut off his optics and took refuge in the words, rotors quivering against his back regardless. He hated the medical field and only wanted to go home. The smells, the bland colors, the scary equipment-all of it reminded him of Shockwave and what had happened so long ago when he had been turned into a piece of Bruticus.

Ratchet finished after a few breems of careful work, making sure there was no more corrosion and that all the tears inside the delicate valve mesh were sealed. Once he was done, he closed up the panel and patted Vortex's rump to say he was done.

"That should feel better," he grunted, cleaning his hands in a sterilization sink. "The numbing agent will likely last into the lunar cycle. I'll call a transport vessel to come pick you up since Vortex won't be able to walk very far."

"That's very kind of you, Ratchet," Rung said softly, taking the leash so Vortex could lay down comfortably while they waited for the transport to arrive. "Do you feel better, Vortex?"

"Medics never make it feel better," Vortex snapped, trying to fuss at his numbed lower half. "He wrecked my legs."

"The feeling will come back soon. Ratchet would never do anything that would cause you harm," Rung assured, playing with the leash as he waited for the transport. "How about when we go back, we get something to eat?"

"Whatever," Vortex grumbled, trying to act surly despite the fact he felt much better and was grateful to the orange bot for getting him help. 

Rung was glad to hear the transport was fast and was already waiting outside the medical facility. He gathered Vortex's surprisingly light frame into his arms and carried the aerial toward the vessel, chatting with the head medic on the way out. Ratchet said his goodbyes and watched Rung struggle out with Vortex clinging tightly to him, chin resting on the bot's shoulder plating. It was a comical but also endearing sight. To think that a bot like Vortex had been rescued by a bot like Rung was rather unbelievable.

Rung made it to the transport before his arms gave out and tried to untangle himself from Vortex's frame. The aerial growled and clung tighter, armor plates threatening to buckle under the intense force of the grasp. So he sat down with Vortex nestled up against him, the gray helicopter silent and well behaved.

"Would you like a bath when we return to the apartment?" Rung asked, hesitantly petting Vortex's helm. The Combaticon made a deep rumble, the sound almost like a purr as he was stroked. "It always makes me feel good after a visit to med bay. Not that med bay is dirty but it often feels like one needs to wash some of the unpleasantries away."

"I like baths. Oil is fun," Vortex answered after some thought on the idea, grip relaxing only when the transport was moving and they were locked securely inside. No one was going to attack them and he felt safe, surrounded by thick transport vessel walls. 

Once they arrived at the apartment, Vortex insisted on being carried again. Rung inwardly groaned as his arms were aching, but he wanted to please the other mech and did as was asked. It brought a smile to his faceplate when he heard loud purring from the helicopter, rotors flared with contentment as he was hauled into the safety of their home.

"Can we have bubbles? Baths without bubbles can't possibly be as good," Vortex rambled once he was finally set down in the large wash rack, Rung turning on the faucet to begin the task of filling the large tub.

"Yes, we can have bubbles. What scent would you like for cleanser?" Rung asked, shuffling around in the cabinet full of medical supplies in case of emergency and a neat row of bath items. Vortex stuck his head in to look as well, pawing at everything and messing up the arrangement.

"This looks good," Vortex said, taking a container of copper scented cleanser and scampering back to the tub, peering over the rim like an excited mechanimal puppy who wanted to go for a swim. His lower half was regaining feeling every click, but his legs were still a little too wobbly for him to be standing too long.

"Would you like help into the bath?" Rung asked gently when he saw Vortex struggling to get over the rim of the pool sized tub. Rotor blades drooped and the mech was the picture of misery, hating that he wasn't able to get in himself. 

"Sorta..." 

Rung came to Vortex's aid and helped the bot into the tub, pushing his rump a little as he heaved the mech into the oil. Once Vortex splashed into the tub, he let out a happy chirp and started bathing, rotors flicking excitedly and spraying oil all over the place. Sounds that only aerial types could make came spilling out of the normally surly helicopter, the room filled with trills, chirps, and sweet sounding purrs. It fascinated Rung, the bot taking off his glasses as he watched Vortex enjoy himself.

"Those aren't your optics?!" Vortex suddenly exclaimed, surprised when he saw Rung without the nerdy glasses. Rung blushed, looking away. 

"Yes, these are to help magnify what I see. I have troubles sometimes with my optics since my frame is rather old-"

"You look hot as Pit!" Vortex barked, suddenly splashing him with oil. That got a gasp out of Rung, the bot surprised by the behavior. "Get in here and get clean!"

Rung was going to protest before he was grabbed and tugged into the tub, getting dragged into the war, oil. It did feel quite nice rushing across his frame and in between his seams, the small mech sighing contentedly. Vortex proceeded to dump the bubbling cleanser into the tub and play with it like an overgrown youngling, dunking himself under the oil to help get the grime out from his back and rotor seams.

"Do you...need help with your rotor blades? I can clean them off for you, if you'd like," Rung asked carefully, having been admiring the appendages for quite some time. It was his guilty pleasure to enjoy wings on aerials. They were so beautiful and sensual that he couldn't help himself.

"Pamper me if you want to," Vortex said, agreeable as could be. He flared the dripping rotor blades and let Rung start cleaning them with a sponge, getting between the rotor seam and the sensitive wiring there. 

Rung felt his frame heat when he heard tiny whines of pleasure coming from Vortex as he worked, old energon and dirt coming free from Vortex's back and rotor seams. It was sad to see he had been in such disrepair, all dirtied and surely uncomfortable. The hand that didn't hold the sponge gently stroked one of the quivering blades, the living metal warm to the touch.

"You got a thing for rotors?" Vortex sniggered, turning so he was face to face with a red-cheeked Rung. "Awww, you do! You got any other kinks?"

"N-no, I-Vortex?!" Rung squeaked as his head finials were fondled, the sensory devices so delicate he was terrified Vortex would break them. But he was pleasantly surprised to find the mech did have the capacity to be gentle, fondling the kibble nicely and drawing a soft sound from within Rung's throat.

"I always had a thing for these sensory thingies. I got none but I always saw bots pawing at them on the porn I watch, so they must be sensitive. When I tore them off for questioning the bots squealed so I'm probably right, right?"

"They are, indeed," Rung spluttered, pulling back and blushing again. Vortex chuffed, coming closer until his faceplate was a few inches from Rung's.

Rung looked up and saw optics behind the red visor, watching him closely with intelligence he hadn't assumed was there. Next the battle mask parted and Vortex's rough lips were pressed to his heated cheek, the helicopter tucking his rotors in closer to his frame as he gave the kiss to his savior. Rung went stock still, optics bulging as he registered that he was being kissed...BY VORTEX. 

"I don't hate you anymore after everything. You're good. You're like Onslaught. He always made me feel better," Vortex said quietly before he returned to playing spastically with the bath cleansers, Rung sitting in shock until he realized the oil was no longer hot and drained the tub.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since everyone hates Cybershot so much, I added a bonus revenge bit at the end of the chapter!

The first thing Wheeljack did was get Black Shadow off the berth and into his office. The mech had been repaired from the laser scalpel attack, his middle welded back together with perfection. Scatterplot and Perceptor had done their best to make the bot feel better despite the fact he had been tortured for about a full deca cycle. Black Shadow had remained silent, grateful for the numbing cream they used before stitching him back together.

"They said they're on the way," Scatterplot said, ending the com with the police force. "They also mentioned we should keep him confined somewhere so he can't get away." 

Cybershot glared daggers at Scatterplot. He had thought the bot was on his side! Wheeljack had cuffed him, his wrists behind his back as he sat in a heap against a medical cabinet. If looks could kill, he would have murdered everyone who glanced at him that solar cycle. Wheeljack ignored the nasty expressions, gently taking Black Shadow's hand as he sat up.

"If you want, I'll letcha have a few good swings at him if it will make you feel better," Wheeljack said gently, assuming Black Shadow would want to strike back at his tormented. The black and red bot nodded, attempting to stand up and finding his legs didn't work.

He crashed onto the ground and struggled to rise, his equilibrium sensors needing to recalibrate after being laid out on his back for solar cycles on end. Once he finally figured out how to use his legs again, the mech turned on Cybershot and locked optics with him, the two staring each other down. Cybershot smirked, totally at ease. 

"I know you won't hurt me. I broke you beyond repair! Not only that, but I claimed you. You carried my transfluid, even if you only did for a short while."

"Shut up!" Wheeljack snarled, seeing the haunted look come across Black Shadow's faceplate. The tricolor Autobot hit Cybershot with a hearty slap across the face, the captured scientist snarling at the stinging pain. "In prison they'll be breaking YOU! No one likes a rapist."

Cybershot blanched considerably at the realization he would likely become a frag toy, his frame small and his fighting skills few. He had been a scientist for as long as he had existed. To think he was going to be confined for the rest of his solar cycles as a toy made him fear for once in a long time. He sniveled, making a soft whine of protest.

"I was only doing my job-"

"You'll have quite another job in prison," Wheeljack snapped, turning to Black Shadow. "Do you want to get back at him? The police won't notice if he's a bit banged up."

Black Shadow took a step back and shook his head, refusing the offer. Cybershot terrified him like nothing else, the big mech's wings tucked close to his sides with nervousness as he shied away from the threat. Cybershot laughed at the sight, finding it amusing that the bot had no backbone. He was a pet and a slave now, sure to be sold off to the highest bidder. His use was not yet over.

"Police!" a loud voice barked from the doorway of the laboratory, a moment later the entrance stormed by a group of four armed bots. They were led by Brawn, the Minibot surprisingly commanding despite his small size. The other bots behind him filed in, blasters at the ready. "Where's the offender?"

"Right here, Brawn. Take him away. He raped Scatterplot and attempted to murder myself and Perceptor," Wheeljack said, lying about the rape so the charges would be harsher. Abusing a Decepticon was more common and didn't hold such a high punishment. Cybershot's jaw dropped, his optics wide. 

"He's lying! I never did that! Never!"

Brawn ignored the fussing and dragged Cybershot out, not willing to take anyone's slag. He was a good cop because he knew when to stop fighting. He called out a goodbye to Wheeljack and then the laboratory was silent, the four remaining bots lingering awkwardly. What were they supposed to do now? Wheeljack was the first to take charge, intelligent mind racing with ideas.

"Black Shadow is under my care from now on. Scatterplot, I want his files and the proof of purchase."  
"Coming right up!" Scatterplot assured, quickly getting the data pad with the proof of ownership. Once Wheeljack had it, his gaze softened considerably.

"I think we should put out a request for some skilled scientists to work on medical energon and other progressive ideas. No more live subjects. Now that Cybershot is gone, I'm in charge and I say we only do what helps everyone, not just the Autobots."

"I like that idea, Wheeljack. You and Black Shadow should take some time away to get used to one another. Do not fret about us. We'll start working on some of your ideas and some of our own. Things will change for the better!" Perceptor said cheerfully, glad that Cybershot, the tyrant of the laboratory, was finally dethroned.

"Looks like we got ourselves a vacation!" Wheeljack said gently to Black Shadow, the mech having inched well behind the medical berth he had been strapped to in order to avoid Cybershot's gaze. He vented, hanging his head.

"You won't...do what he did to me?"

"Never," Wheeljack said firmly, frowning behind his face mask when he saw those wings pressed to his frame in fear. It would be some time before Black Shadow could trust again.

He clipped a leash to a ring in the collar as they walked out of the lab, only doing it for the mech's own safety. He had the feeling that Black Shadow would spook and possibly run off if someone got too close. To be sure things would be safe, he led the six phaser alongside him out into the street.

Just as he had suspected, Black Shadow didn't do very well in the hustle and bustle of the streets. Wheeljack tried to take the least crowded yet shortest route to his home, but despite all his efforts Black Shadow panicked one fourth of the way to his abode. The mech lurched backwards when someone bumped him on the side and another on the wing, the mech terrorized by the idea of being touched.

"Easy, easy! We're almost home!" Wheeljack called, doing what he could to soothe the large bot. Black Shadow only stopped yanking on the leash and trying to run off when he got too tired to fuss anymore, deciding all he could do to stay safe was keep close to Wheeljack. While he loathed all the Autobots, he did feel some small loyalty to the scientist who had done all he could to save and eventually free him from torture.

Wheeljack vented when they finally got to his house, the building warm and pleasant. It smelled clean but not sterile like the laboratory, the colors inside warm oranges and golds. Black Shadow hung back once his leash was unclipped, peering into the rest of the home but not daring to move further inside it. Wheeljack saw and motioned for him to come along.

"It's alright, Black Shadow. Nothing will jump out at you!"

Black Shadow said nothing, following Wheeljack into the living room and then the kitchen. He didn't feel like speaking, too worn down and nervous to bother. Then again, he never really had been a big talker to start with. He preferred to be the looming, mysterious bot that no one dared to mess with.

'And I saw how that worked out-not too well,' he mused darkly to himself, grateful when he could find a couch to sit on and rest. His frame hurt, a dull ache after being stabbed and prodded at constantly over the course of a deca cycle. 

"How about something to eat? Not too much since your tank won't be used to it, but you should have something to snack on," Wheeljack said brightly, bringing out some copper chews and a bowl of gelled energon cubelets. 

"Thanks," Black Shadow croaked, a hand going up to his vocalizer when he heard his voice. He had been screaming and roaring so much it sounded terrible. Honestly he wouldn't be surprised if he found out he had broken it somehow. Wheeljack noticed and frowned behind his battle mask, going over so he was standing in front of the six phaser.

"Mind if I take a look at your vocalizer? It sounds like it's hurting," he said gently, wincing inwardly when he saw Black Shadow pull back with fear. Being touched was the last thing he wanted. "You can trust me. I'm not like him."

"I trust no one!" Black Shadow wheezed, his expression turning from angry to pitiful. His voice was ruined! 

"You have to trust somebody! Might as well be me since we'll be staying together for a while," Wheeljack said, holding out an open hand in the most non-threatening way possible. He saw Black Shadow turn his head away to think, still trying to remain independent despite his silent signals that he wanted someone to care for him. 

Eventually Black Shadow lowered his head in submission, realizing his place. There was nothing better for him than to be in the care of Wheeljack. The auction would be worse and the laboratory was dreadful. Considering the other options he had, being stuck with Wheeljack was actually pretty favorable. He hated himself for wanting the attention, yet he also sought the tender affection the grounder was willing to bestow on him.

"Can I touch your neck?" 

"I guess," Black Shadow whispered, his voice so hoarse he didn't even want to speak at full volume. It was so raspy and disgusting, yet another reminder of what he had been through.

There was a loud intake from him when blunt digits touched his neck cabling, pulling back while the hands followed. His optics flicked around for an escape in case he needed one, staying seated only because he was determined not to have an embarrassing episode. Wheeljack rumbled soft praises, assuring him he was doing great.

"I've gotcha, big guy...Don't you worry, I won't hurt you," Wheeljack soothed, feeling around the bot's neck until he found the inflamed area where the voice box was located. "Alright, I found the problem spot! From what I can tell is its overheated from a lot of use. Take a solar cycle off and stay nice and quiet. That should be all you need! And I'll brew up some medical energon to help moves things along faster! And don't think for a click it's the bad tasting kind. I'm picky about the medical energon I buy!"

Black Shadow relaxed when the hands left his neck, glad when he hadn't been strangled or clawed at. Bots near his neck were never there with good intentions until that moment. He glanced up as Wheeljack strode into the kitchen to prepare the energon. While he was gone Black Shadow started stuffing his face with food, the gelled energon gone by the time Wheeljack returned. 

"Here's your tea! I mean energon! Primus, after coming back from Earth I still use a lot of their terms!" Wheeljack chuckled, passing over the cube that was hot to the touch. "I don't mind some of their sayings. They're kinda fun!"

Black Shadow simply nodded, unsure what the bot was talking about. While he had been on Earth once and a while to act as a mercenary, he had never stayed long enough to come in contact with humans. Their language and terms were foreign and mysterious.

'I wonder what their 'tea' is composed of...' he thought as he drank, feeling his low energon tank refilling until it was finally topped off at one hundred perfect. It felt glorious to be full again, the bot flipping over and lounging on the couch. Maybe being someone else's problem would be nice despite the degrading place in society. Wheeljack seemed like he enjoyed taking care of him and he wouldn't put an end to it after he had seen the cruelty some could inflict.

"I'll leave you alone so you can get some recharge. Rest up and feel better. I know it will take a long time, but I'd like it if we could be friends. Why not? We're all just bots in the end," Wheeljack said gently, reaching out and patting Black Shadow's shoulder as he passed. Black Shadow flinched with the contact, although he wasn't too upset by it. 

He would learn how to accept his new station in life and in the end he might even end up liking a stupid Autobot. He would have to see where fate took him.

***

The jail cell was filthy, covered in old energon and globs of spat out oral fluid. Bots apparently liked to spit where they slept. Cybershot nervously huddled inside his cell when the doors swung open, all the bots supposedly forced to go to get their rations. In the mass of inmates that was where the beatings and rapes usually took place. Not only that, but guards often turned a blind optic when prisoners dragged their targets back to their cells to play for a lunar cycle or two.

"Hey, you! Get out there and meet the others! I'm sure they'll love to meet you!" A burly truck barked, the guard grabbing Cybershot by the wrist and hauling him out of his cell. Once he ushered him into the main room, all the inamates turned to see the new addition.

Cybershot was not a large mech, the sedan gawking in horror at the other bots. There were only a few mech's his size and a handful of femmes, all of them looking far tougher than he. The rest were powerful trucks, SUVS, tanks, and even a couple shuttles and jets. They were the dangerous ones and they outnumbered him one hundred to one.

"This one raped a 'Con from what I heard," a black and white tank chuffed, the mech still marked as a Decepticon. He had been put in jail after mauling his master, no one else willing to take him on after the attack. So jail was the place for him to live out his days. "I was hoping there would be a cute little thing for me and it looks like I found it, boys!"

The gang around him hooted excitedly, swiftly surrounding Cybershot like a pack of wild mechanimals ready to make their kill. "I did no such thing-"

Cybershot squealed with terror when he was grabbed by a red and yellow SUV behind him, the mech roughly pawing at him. "Want me to rip off his cover for you, boss?"

"Sure, go ahead!"

The tank growled happily when Cybershot screamed, his valve now bared for anyone to use him. The SUV shoved Cybershot hard so that he fell into the black and white mech's open arms, blabbering for mercy as the tank happily moved them to the floor and arranged himself.

"No! Please, I'll do anything you want! I have credits! I have energon!" Cybershot threw out, frantic to get away. The tank's rough faceplate smirked at him, chipped dentas flashing a dangerous smile.

"You think you can control everyone, huh? You thought you could abuse one of us and get away with it. Well guess what? I'm going to show you how it feels and make you sorry for destroying a bot from the inside out! This is for Black Shadow."

Cybershot's optics went huge, his maroon valve folds spreading as the tank's pure white spike nudged between them. "How did you-"

"Guards talk. They ask around and know it wasn't an Autobot when they came to pick you up and haul your sorry art here. What sucks for you is that he was my old pal back in the day. So I'm going to use you the same way you used him until I'm sick of you or die. Sound good? Good."

With that the tank mounted, Cybershot's shrill cry tearing through the chorus of triumphant whoops and roars. Justice would be served in the form of brutal payback, the cruelty Cybershot had been so sure would never reach him now setting in. He hadn't believed in Pit before that time, but now he had a pretty good idea what everlasting torment felt like.


	9. Chapter 9

The more Vortex opened up to Rung over the deca cycles, the more Rung found himself enjoying the companionship he offered. The bot was insanely difficult while also being insanely lovable all at the same time. There was something about him that was alluring, drawing Rung ever closer as they became more comfortable living with one another.

They worked constantly to pull the helicopter out of his dark mind, the mech making some good progress over the cycles of therapy and behavioral exercises. He no longer wanted to kill everyone or inflict pain for no reason, but he was still up for fighting and causing trouble just for the sake of being annoying. Rung knew it would take an exceptionally long period of time before Vortex was fit to live without his shock collar and be brought back into society, but they would get there eventually. Rung would make sure of it.

"Vortex, bad! Come down from the counter at once!" Rung scolded when he walked into the kitchen to find Vortex skittering around the expensive countertop looking for food in the top cabinets. The Combaticon knew that was where the treats he liked most were stored and always tried to sneak some in when Rung wasn't watching. Rotor blades drooped and Vortex gave Rung a guilty look, knowing full well that he was not supposed to be snagging extra treats.

Rung was glad when the gray helicopter clambered down and went grumbling into the living room, handsome rotor blades shuffling with disgruntled anger. It was amusing to think that Vortex assumed he would never be caught when making trouble, the mech positive he was invincible to being discovered. It was also rather funny when Rung had found out Vortex responded best to flat out commands like a mechanimal. Whether Onslaught or a Creator long ago taught him that way was unknown, but it seemed to work wonders.

"What were you looking for, Vortex? I did just come back from the store and I'm sure there's something in here that you would like," Rung called over his shoulder as he unloaded supplies from his subspace. He had purchased crates of all sorts of treats and fuel types, swiftly dashing about the kitchen as he sorted them and put the items away.

"I like the copper chews and mineral sticks," a voice said right in Rung's audio receptor. Rung gasped, startled and dropping an energon cube. Vortex took the fallen cube and stacked it neatly beside the others, his red visor gleaming with mischief. Sneaking up on Rung was too much fun!

"Honestly, Vortex, you are a devil!" Rung exclaimed, gently roughing up Vortex's helm. The helicopter made a happy sounding growl-purr before he started nipping lightly at the hands that were in range.

Rung had been attempting to teach him to be gentle over the deca cycles, the biting not nearly as painful and damaging as it once had been. While Vortex could still have his vicious moments and draw some energon, for the most part he was behaving himself and staying out of serious trouble. It made Rung so proud to know the crazy Combaticon that everyone feared had such great potential deep down.

"You can have some treats if you take them nicely," Rung said, taking out a package of copper chews and opening it carefully. Vortex's optics were locked on the bag like a mechanimal would when waiting for a special reward.

Rung took out a copper chew and held it out, the square candy much like a human caramel sitting in the palm of his hand. Vortex rarely ever kept his battle mask over his faceplate while inside the apartment and was happy to snatch the food with his jaws. Just like a mechanimal, he stole the food quickly and backed off to eat it as if afraid someone would take it from him. Rung frowned. They had to teach him how to be gentle and not simply take everything he wanted.

"Vortex, you must be gentle! Try again," Rung scolded softly, now holding the treat between his pointer finger and thumb. "Don't you go biting my fingers, either. I would like them to stay on my hand!"

Vortex carefully approached, his optics locked on the treat. He opened his mouth and tried to nip at the corner of the food, Rung pulling his hand back and frowning. Vortex whined, rotor blades shuffling as he sidled closer to try again. Rung was holding his own and refusing to give up the item too easily. The orange mech watched Vortex almost as intently as the aerial gazed at him, the two silent as they interacted in their strange way.

"Take it nicely..."

Rung clicked his glossa softly as if he were coaxing a mechanimal closer, inwardly thrilled when warm lips carefully brushed his hand before Vortex began nibbling at the copper chew. He opened his hand once he was sure Vortex was going to behave and allowed the other mech to take the candy. Vortex made a happy grunt and devoured his reward, pleased he had done a good job. 

"Let's eat the rest of the bag. You got so much at the store this solar cycle!" Vortex purred cutely, flaring his rotor blades as he eagerly awaited the next treat. Rung laughed, the sound musical to Vortex's audio receptors. Sometimes he loved how Rung was such a gentle spark, always ready to forgive when he got out of hand and ready to reward him when he was good.

Vortex made a soft aerial chirr and crawled into Rung's lap without any invitation, a mass of warm living metal. While the orange mech was smaller than the helicopter, Vortex found ways to get up close and personal with his rescuer. He would make sure he fit when it came to cuddling. Rung was always astonished to find that Vortex was so full of affection, the mech everyone else had assumed was vicious beyond help honestly quite lovable and good company.

"V-Vortex! Oh, my! You always do this!" Rung murmured against Vortex's helm when the other mech nuzzled against him. The orange mech wrapped his arms around Vortex's middle and gave him a firm hug, Vortex answering the gesture with a grunt and some more shifting to get comfortable.

Rung laughed when they rolled over onto their sides on the living room floor, Vortex squirming as he tried to kiss and nuzzle at his companion's helm. Rung blushed a heated red in the cheeks when Vortex's lips just barely missed his own, the sloppy yet claiming kisses peppering his faceplate. Vortex's frame was hot, blasts of heated air rolling off his armor plating as they tangled together on the floor.

"Vortex! Get off, we should at least be in the berthroom for this-woah!" Rung yelped when Vortex suddenly picked him up, fluidly going from the floor to a trotting run towards the berthroom. Rung figured the Combaticon was used to getting up off the ground quickly and smoothly from the multitude of training exercises he had surely endured long ago.

"Let's make things steamy tonight!" Vortex announced, rolling them into the soft metal mattress and the rumpled mesh blankets. 

"Vortex, we have been over this! I'm not-"

"I'm sure you can get wet for me! I'm a stud!" Vortex boasted, swiftly pinning Rung down under him and puffing out his plating to look larger. Rung's optics went wide, the mech peering nervously out from behind his glasses. "I'd let you spike but I'm not...quite there yet."

Vortex's fanned out rotor blades pressed closed to his frame when he remembered his capture and how the guard had abused him. His valve clenched at the vivid flashbacks of the rape, his body healed but his mind nowhere close to being mended of the vicious memory. The mood passed as quickly as it had come and Vortex was nibbling along Rung's jawline, optics bright behind his visor.

"Vortex-"

"Shut up and kiss me!" Vortex whispered, taking Rung's head in one hand as he pulled them into the kiss he desired so badly. He hadn't been able to get Rung to make a move yet due to his shy nature, so he decided to take matters into his own hands and make the first effort.

Rung's complaints and fussing hushed the instant lips closed around his and a slippery glossa found a way into his mouth. The smaller mech made a muffled 'mnnnff' and lay still, another moan escaping when he felt Vortex's hot frame press down on his. Instincts took over from there and Rung spread his legs, programming telling him that it was all normal and not meant to be embarrassing whatsoever.

Vortex pulled away from the ravaging only after he was sure Rung was his, savoring the feeling of their lips crushed against one another and their glossas sliding together as they danced and explored within the confines of their mouths. It was hot as Pit and Vortex could feel his eager spike pressing uncomfortably against his panel. He wanted it badly and wasn't sure if he could just shove it in or if he would have to wait.

"You're pretty fragging hot, even with those funny eyebrow things," Vortex purred, fumbling around a Rung's faceplate until he got the glasses to unhinge from their special place. Rung squeaked in distress when his precious glasses were removed, snatching them away and placing them carefully on the berthside table.

"Vortex! You are one of the most badly behaved mechs I have ever met! I don't know how you got to be like this but-"

"You know you like it and it keeps you on your toes!" Vortex insisted, grinning like the Pit devil that he was. "Can we go further now? Are you ready for it? I can talk dirty to you if you like that sort of stuff!"

Vortex was certainly ready, Rung mused as he saw Vortex's turgid spike spring out from behind a pulled back cover. The breeding organ was more than eager, twitching slightly as some pre fluid seeped from the sharp tip. Vortex didn't look all that impressive, the spike all one color-gray-and not tipped too sharply. It was still sharp enough to get through a gestation chamber, but he wasn't amazing Sire material like some bots were.

Rung blushed when he realized he had been staring and looked away, unsure what to do. He wasn't a virgin, but he wasn't exactly excited to hop into the berth with others. It was a huge act of trust and he had never felt like he wanted to be that close to someone. Sure, he could be close to his patients, but that was on a mental standpoint, not a physical one. Vortex sensed the hesitation and nuzzled at Rung's cheek, encouraging him despite the frown on his rugged faceplate.

"You don't want to," he said, stating what he was feeling from the other bot. He made sure his own emotions did not show through. There was no reason to upset Rung any further.

"No, it's not that I don't...feel certain ways towards you! Don't think that!" Rung said quickly, reaching up and cupping Vortex's faceplate. The helicopter looked down at him, optics unreadable behind his garnet visor. "I like you very much, Vortex. You are my best friend and companion. I adore you in so many ways! It's just my own insecurities catching up to me."

"I get it, I get it," Vortex said, quickly getting off Rung. The orange mech felt his spark ache when he saw Vortex's erection was gone as soon as it had come, the grey mech swiftly shoving his equipment back behind its panel and slamming it shut. "Didn't meant to wreck it..." he added in a sullen grumble, rotor blades drooping.

"Vortex, no...You ruined nothing at all! It's my fault for killing the...er...mood?" Rung stumbled, trying to do damage control as well as keep himself from panicking about what had nearly happened. He wasn't sure what he wanted! 

Vortex hung his head, the mech slowly sinking into the berth beside his companion with a low chuff. It was the sound of defeat, the Combaticon pushed away and unwilling to try again that lunar cycle. Rung reached over and softly pet along Vortex's back and watched as the mech faded into recharge, worn out from his rejection and void of words.

'I'm so sorry, Vortex. Maybe someday,' Rung thought, gently taking his glasses back up from the table beside the berth and clipping them into place. Hopefully Vortex would wait for him and be there when he was ready.

***

Rung noticed a change in Vortex immediately after the bad lunar cycle. The helicopter was no longer offering affection, appearing confused and unsure each time he tried to get hugs and attention. Rung would accept him every time with open arms and Vortex would always come. The same thing happened each time; Vortex would make physical contact and instantly recoil, checking to see if Rung became angry with him or upset. His rotor blades would flatten closer to his frame and he would back up a few paces with nervousness.

"Vortex, I would like to give you a hug," Rung said gently during another one of the episodes where the other mech had backed away before he completed the embrace. Vortex shook his head. 

"You don't like me like that."

"I do! Vortex, please hear what I'm saying! I do enjoy your affection very much! It was the interfacing I was unsure of!" Rung said, keeping his arms open. "It's been too long for me to not hug you tight."

"I'm not willing to scare you! I know how it feels to be forced and it's not good," Vortex said quietly, staying where he was and coming no closer. "You're the only bot I've loved enough that I couldn't imagine hurting you."

Rung's spark broke when he heard such a tender statement come from a former killer, a former torturer. Vortex was in love and with him of all bots. It both stunned and flattered Rung, the orange mech feeling safe in the presence of the helicopter. Vortex had passed the phase where he wanted to cause pain and now he was doing all he could to avoid it.

"Vortex?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm ready."

"...Want me to dirty talk you?" came the hopeful answer.

***

Vortex knew to be gentle as he got ready to mount. His spike was lathered with synthetic lubricant since Rung wasn't producing enough. He was aroused, that part being obvious with his swollen valve folds and needy panting, yet his frame couldn't quite get the natural lubricant needed for a good mount. So Vortex had made sure they were all set and positioned himself between soft protoflesh lips.

Rung lay on his back, thighs spread and his head tossed back. Vortex was a wild and passionate foreplayer and had both aroused and worn him out. The smaller mech was thankful for it, groaning softly when he felt the warm rod of a spike get situated and eased a tiny bit into the entrance of his gripping mech cunt. The greedy slit clenched around nothing for a moment and he shifted his hips, willing to be taken.

"Might hurt a little since you haven't done this in a while," Vortex warned, nipping at Rung's jawline as he stealthily pinned his partner. Rung huffed quietly, smiling when Vortex licked at his exposed neck.

"I'm sure it will be f-aaahnng! Oooh, Vortex! Nnnnghh, it's...rather tight!" Rung gasped when Vortex mounted with two firm snaps of his hips.

Vortex tried to fix the hurt, understanding the pressure would be uncomfortable. Being penetrated never went easily with no discomfort unless a bot was in heat. Relaxing and preparing were the best ways to take a spike, but Vortex was more than happy to reward Rung with kisses and nuzzles. 

"You're amazing," Vortex crooned, slowly starting to move. 

He rolled his hips and watched with awe as Rung arched and mewled, his handsome faceplate contorting into pure pleasure once the initial business was taken care of. Vortex chirred contentedly as his spike sunk deep into the rippling depths of protoflesh, speeding up slowly but surely until he was rutting his companion hard and was drawing shouts and squeals from his beloved.

"I love you...so much," Vortex murmured, powerful frame rising and falling over Rung's splayed body as he worked his magic. Rung gasped when the bludgeon spike hit a good spot and clenched around the stiff breeding organ.

"I love you always!" he answered, breathless as Vortex's lips brushed against his, the ghost of a touch bringing him to overload. 

Rung cried out quietly as his lower middle tensed and then released, pleasure spreading through his entire frame as he overloaded. His orange and tan spike spurted transfluid against Vortex's belly as his valve clamped down and produced a small gush of lubricant.

Vortex followed Rung into overload, snarling as he bit down on Rung's neck to hold him still while he finished. Rung's pleasure sounds drew a muffled growl from the aerial as his spike swiftly engorged and tied him to his mate, transfluid spurting from the tip a moment later. Rung made an unhappy whine when the pressure increased dramatically inside his lower middle and between his legs. He kicked a tiny bit and mewled when Vortex firmly put a stop to the movement with his frame, pinning Rung as he finished his load. 

Vortex released Rung's neck only when his spike ceased twitching and his transfluid chamber was empty, the love bite that was left behind adding to Rung's good looks. It gave him the appearance of being rugged and passionate, something Vortex loved to see emerge from the littler bot.

"You okay?" he asked, carefully moving them so they lay on their sides, Rung's leg draped over Vortex's hip to stop any painful tugging. The spike tie was big and they would be locked together for up to a half cycle.

"Im very well," Rung assured, pressing a chaste kiss to Vortex's lips to assure him. "I will be sore tomorrow morning, but it was well worth it. We can do this again sometime."

"Tomorrow lunar cycle I'll bring out the cuffs and we'll see if you like bondage," Vortex yipped happily, thrilled he had gained Rung's trust as well as his unbelievably copious affection.

No one had loved him like Rung had before, Vortex trilling sweetly when he was hugged tightly and his rotor blades stroked with care. While he missed his gestalt brothers every solar cycle, he knew that he had everything he could ever need in his arms, gazing at him through nerdy yet perfectly handsome glasses.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a bit short :( I'm having some writers block at the moment...

"I gotcha some of your favorite mercury truffles!"

Black Shadow rolled over on the couch, his favorite lounging spot in the apartment. He perked up at the mention of his favorite treat, sitting up and taking the box from Wheeljack's hands. A few deca cycles ago he would have been skittish or bitter, but now he was more than willing to accept food and affection from his companion.

"Thanks. You didn't overpay, right?" he asked, never quite giving up his habit of loving money. Credits to him were what his existence was based off of in some senses. He had been a mercenary, always obeying the highest bidder and leaving them the second they became too poor. That had been his life once and it would be a hard habit to break. 

Thankfully Wheeljack didn't seem to mind and waved off his concern. "I never pay too much! I buy from honest bots, Shadow! Don't you worry about a thing!"

Black Shadow was calm when Wheeljack sat down beside him, leaning his shoulder against Wheeljack's. The inventor glanced up and smiled, his face mask no longer in place. There was no need for it when they were safely at home together. Plus he wanted to show his appreciation for his best buddy, never having expected Black Shadow to progress as far as he had in such a short amount of time.

Wheeljack reached up and lightly brushed Black Shadow's cheek when he finished his fourth truffle, the massive six phaser grunting softly with surprise. Initially he didn't flinch or pull away, nor did he press his cheek closer into the touch. He simply sat still and waited to see what Wheeljack was going to do.

"You're a good mech, Black Shadow."

"I'm glad you think so," Black Shadow rumbled back, wrapping a heavy arms ruined Wheeljack's shoulders and pulling them into a tight embrace. "You and I have to stick together after all this. We're more than a bidder and mercenary now."

Black Shadow grinned like a Pit devil when he mentioned that. Their previous lunar cycle had been insanely fun and had built a huge amount of trust between them. The berthroom had been their playground and in the end the six phaser had gotten the chance to frag Wheeljack strutless. It had been the best overload of his life and oddly enough he could imagine no other partner to be with.

"We'll always stick together! You silly bot, thinking there's a chance we'd move apart! Ha! Whether ya like it or not, you're stuck with me!" Wheeljack snickered, pressing a quick kiss to Black Shadow's somewhat parted lips. The black and red mech had just been about to say something, his words quickly stolen away by the kiss.

"I would have found a way out if I hadn't liked it," Black Shadow insisted, nipping lightly at Wheeljack's faceplate when the other bot came close enough. 

Wheeljack snickered and started wrestling with the six phaser, the two growling softly at one another as they rolled over on the couch, Black Shadow swiftly getting the upper hand and draping himself over his lover. He grinned brightly with triumph, optics bright with lust and excitement. They were going to have another good round of 'facing for sure! 

"We might end up falling off the couch if we do it here," Wheeljack chuckled, Black Shadow barely able to fit as it was.

The six phaser smirked, his dentas flashing in a hungry smile. "Then we'll do it on the floor so that doesn't become an issue. Sound good, babe?" he growled, suddenly picking Wheeljack up and swiftly bringing them down to the floor. Wheeljack didn't have a chance to fight for the top spot, the heavy frame of his companion over him before he could do anything.

"You're a clever one, Black Shadow. Won't even let me have a chance?" the inventor laughed as the six phaser proceeded to pepper his faceplate and neck with kisses. He melted under the soft affections, tipping his chin up to expose more of his vulnerable protoflesh. Black Shadow bit down, a claiming gesture but not one with any malice or ill intent.

"Nope. You belong to me one hundred and ten percent," Black Shadow murmured once he released his jaws and continued his kisses.

Wheeljack's arms wrapped around Black Shadow's waist and hugged him tight, his digits dipping between armor seams to find the sensitive parts the big warrior did his best to hide. The smaller mech beamed when he managed to draw a low moan from Black Shadow, feeling his frame shudder when fingers stroked across the protoflesh of his lower back.

The sound of a interface panel sliding back was all that could be heard above the couple's panting, Black Shadow's enormous spike pressurizing the moment it was freed. He wanted to get their lunar cycle moving and hoped Wheeljack wanted to do the same. The sound of a second interface panel pulling aside was all he needed to confirm that all was well and they could continue.

"Black Shadow, don't go too hard this time around. That was for last night and I'm still a bit sore!" Wheeljack said softly, rubbing the nape of his partner's neck as Black Shadow tried to get situated. It always took him a little while due to their size difference. He had to make sure he didn't harm Wheeljack while also finding a comfortable spot for himself.

"Alright, slow and steady. I got it," Black Shadow replied, guiding his spike with one hand to Wheeljack's soft white valve, the protoflesh swollen and slick with need. The six phaser beamed, thrilled he at least had the power to make someone else long for him. "You ready?"

"Sure am," Wheeljack purred, the two of them nuzzling at one another's cheeks before Black Shadow mounted with a few strong thrusts.

Wheeljack gasped, arching slightly under his partner as he felt the warm pressure of his lover enter him. It did hurt some, but it was the kind of pain that was welcomed when interfacing was concerned. Besides that, penetration always hurt a bit unless a bot was in heat.

"Did I hurt you?" Black Shadow asked with concern in his garnet optics, his red and black spike twitching inside the sheath of glorious warmth as he spoke. The gasp had been one of mixed feelings, the mech anxious to know if he had damaged his mate. Wheeljack shook his head, mouth parted as he painted softly.

"You're fine...It's amazing..." he murmured, his frame shuddering with the feelings of pleasure and lust.

"Glad to hear it. I'll take good care of you, Wheeljack. You know I will," Black Shadow assured, starting a languid pace where his hips rolled with every thrust and his chest pressed close to his mate's. He could feel Wheeljack's spark beating behind the armor plating, his own life energy syncing to it.

Their apartment was soon filled with low groans and growls as the two coupled, their bodies rolling against one another like waves. Black Shadow had never felt as whole as he did then, connected to the only bot in the world who had wanted to give him a chance. He would be forever in debt to Wheeljack and he surprisingly didn't mind. There was no one better to be grateful to.

"I love you," Black Shadow whispered huskily into Wheeljack's audio receptor as he sped up slightly, coming close to his finish. Wheeljack keened, his valve clamping down around the spike that stretched him wide and pummeled him hard.

"I love you even more," he answered, blue optics meeting red as they stared at one another before they overloaded.

Black Shadow went first, jamming his spike as deep as it could go without puncturing the gel wall before he released, transfluid shooting into his mate's greedy valve. The spike tie locked them together only a klick after he came, the pressure of both fluid and a bigger spike bringing him to overload. Both mechs shivered as the burning hot rush of passion swept over them.

"That was good," Black Shadow rumbled once they had caught their breath, laying down so he didn't crush Wheeljack under him while they rested. The tie would keep them together for up to a half cycle, so they would have to be patient and wait for it to fade. 

"Agreed," Wheeljack sighed, optics half offline as he tried to rest up. Interfacing always wore him out, his frame feeling like he was strutless and had done a good workout. It was the feeling of being sated, the pleasant fatigue one only sex could bring about.

"Should we just sleep on the floor?"

"I think that's fine," Wheeljack chuckled, half in recharge as it was.


End file.
